


L-O-V-E

by kurokun, Patd06



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, M/M, Singing, Song Lyrics, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-04
Updated: 2016-05-16
Packaged: 2018-04-02 18:32:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 36,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4070233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kurokun/pseuds/kurokun, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Patd06/pseuds/Patd06
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ichigo, a stressed out divorce attorney, finds himself falling for a very, very extraordinarily talented singer named Grimmjow. AU, Yaoi, swearing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. L is for the way you look at me. . .

**Author's Note:**

> This is a little something I've been working on for a while secretly xD I would like to share it with you all, and I hope you enjoy it. I pretty much wrote it because I wanted Grimmjow to sing this song and the rest of it came from literally no where lol. Part of this first chapter was written by my good friend BlueRegina06 who is the best. I adore her.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this first chapter ^_^

##  Chapter One: _L is for the way you look at me. . ._

_By: Nat King Cole_

Inhaling the scent of his piping hot chamomile tea, the orange-haired male shut his deep brown eyes in revery. After a long day at his office, there was nothing better than a visit to the local coffee shop, Spirit. Here he was free from the stuffy partners he was forced to be in meetings with constantly, the groveling paralegals and sniveling interns. He chuckled to himself; boy if college him could see now-him. Talk about a hypothetical hissy-fit. He sipped his tea carefully as he shut his phone off to ensure that he’d be free from his nagging junior partner, Rukia, for the next hour and a half. He loved the woman like a sister, but she could drive Satan himself up the wall with her nagging. Tonight was one of his favorite nights after all, and he didn’t want to miss a thing.

One of the attractions of Spirit was that it housed as its employees some of the most talented singers and musicians in the whole city. The owner of the shop granted them access to instruments and an audience in exchange for their work. Every night, one of the employees got to show off their talent for their whole shift. That was the exciting part though; every single person employed by Spirit had to be miraculously gifted, so there wasn’t a chance of a bad performance. Ichigo remembered the first time he saw one of the waitresses, Orihime, perform Toni Braxton’s Un-Break My Heart. He had tears in his eyes by the time she finished. Last he heard, Orihime had gotten a record deal and was on her way to becoming a star. He was glad; she deserved it.

Tonight’s performance was to be by one of the new waiters. Ichigo was good friends with the owner, Sosuke Aizen, and he’d informed the orange-haired attorney that he’d be in for a treat. Ichigo called for a waitress to bring him another cup of tea as a large blue haired male that he’d never seen before walked by. He was captivating to say the least, with his over-six-foot frame drenched in perfect, slightly-tanned skin and accentuated by gorgeously sculpted muscles that were not hidden by the standard black Spirit employee t-shirt. The man’s hair was a standout feature - much like Ichigo’s own - being a bright and beautiful sky blue color and styled in the likeness of the lead singer of the band La Roux. Ichigo hadn’t ever seen anyone like the man before in his life, and so he was absolutely enthralled as the man sat down at the piano, situating the mic so that it was near his full lips. His electric blue eyes scanned the room as he gave a lopsided grin before speaking,

“How’s everyone doing tonight?”

Ichigo nearly choked on a sip of tea. The man’s voice was as heart-stopping - if not more so - as he was himself. The orange-haired male could’ve sworn he heard panties dropping all over the room as the man on stage continued to speak.

“Name’s Grimmjow, and I’m a little new here, so be nice to me, yeah?”

A nice round of applause cascaded around the room as the man - Grimmjow - began to play a few soft notes on the piano. It was a familiar tune, and Ichigo found himself smiling as the blue-haired male began to sing.

“ _L is for the way you look at me; O is for the only one I see; V is very, very extraordinary; E is even more than anyone that you adore. . ._ ”

Ichigo slid his phone out of his pocket and turned it on, ignoring messages from Rukia and his annoying best friend Shinji. He turned on the camera and began to record as Grimmjow kept singing, his gorgeous blue eyes shut as he sang the song in his beautiful smooth voice,

“ _And love is all that I can give to you; love is more than just a game for two; two in love can make it, take my heart and please don’t break it; love was made for me and you. . ._ ”

The blue-haired male’s eyes slid open as he finished the verse, seemingly locking right with Ichigo’s phone camera. For a moment, Ichigo thought he’d be upset, but he just smiled brightly and winked as he played the riff of the song’s chorus on the piano before finishing with a nod to the audience. Applause broke out around the room, Ichigo himself being among the loudest, and Grimmjow stood from the piano’s seat, giving a proper bow before stepping down from the stage and accepting a high-five and a bottle of water from one of the waitresses. Ichigo was putting his phone away when he felt a presence across from him. He looked up, meeting smiling blue eyes with his own brown ones.

“I didn’t know the patrons were allowed to record performances. I would’ve done something with my hair if I had.”

Ichigo couldn’t keep a hint of a blush from forming on his cheeks and at the tips of his ears. Grimmjow noticed this and he chuckled a bit, causing Ichigo to frown.

"Wow, you sure are hilarious!" he said in a fake cheery tone. His smile immediately disappeared afterwards. "You should definitely stick to singing though."

Grimmjow steepled the fingers of his right hand against his chest and drew his upper body backwards, looking highly offended. Ichigo couldn't help but to laugh at the gesture.

"I'll have you know I was voted class clown for three years in a row in high school, sir."

"Oh yeah? Well, I'll chalk that up to impressionable young minds."

“Aw, you can’t cut me a little slack? I just finished my first performance,” the man said, giving Ichigo the best set of puppy eyes he'd ever seen.

 _Defeat. Utter defeat. Damn me. I am so weak when blue eyes look at me._ "Alright, I will," Ichigo sighed and scratched his chin, "Now you should drink something hot for your throat. Cater to your voice."

A very charming smile spread on the blue-haired man's gorgeous face and he glanced over his shoulder. "Riruka, sweetie, could you get me a cinnamon tea, no sugar, please?" he said to the short and very slim waitress with the red hair, styled in symmetrical pigtails, who happened to pass by them at that moment.

Her red eyebrows furrowed, forming an angry crease in between and the woman sneered. "Don't call me sweetie."

"But you'll get me my tea, huh?" the blue-haired man smiled brightly at her and she rolled her eyes.

"Fine," she huffed, "just don't take too long."

"Sure, sure," he chirped and pulled the free chair on Ichigo's table, taking a seat oh so very casually. Blue eyes locked with surprised brown. "You mind?"

Ichigo blinked at the other man, caught entirely too off-guard by his blunt antics, but in the end, he simply sighed and shrugged. "Well you already sat your butt down. Although I didn't know the staff was allowed to sit with the patrons."

"You recorded my performance without my permission," the blunet winked and put his elbow on the table, propping his chin on his palm, "Eye for an eye."

Ichigo couldn't help but smile. The guy was smart, he had to acknowledge that. But not out loud. He sipped from his drink, eyeing the man sitting next to him carefully; Grimmjow was more attractive up close. His eyes were far more lively, his nose sharp and pointy, his jaws just as sharp. Brown eyes slid to the thick neck and the broad, strong-looking shoulders, then towards that chiseled chest that looked strong enough to tear apart the tight staff shirt. Check, check, check. More like a thousand checks. Shit, the man was so fine.

"So, you like what you see?"

At the sound of that gravelly voice, brown eyes snapped up to the man's face and locked with laughing blue. Hoo, talk about getting caught red-handed. Ichigo felt like a huge idiot for blatantly staring for so long. As a matter of fact, the back of his neck heated up as he placed his mug back on the wooden table, crossing his arms over his chest. "Hmm," he hummed with confidence he didn't feel, "Maybe yes, maybe no. I haven't decided yet."

Grimmjow's husky laughter tickled Ichigo's ears pleasantly, relaxing his tense shoulders. "I like you," the blue-haired man chuckled, shaking his head in amusement, "I don't know many people who keep calm under my relentless teasing."

"Nah, I'm not normally like that," Ichigo shrugged and pushed his sleeve away to glance at his watch. "It's four pm," he nodded, a small smirk lifting his lips at Grimmjow's baffled expression, "It's the time I come up the witty remarks."

The blue-haired man blinked a couple of times before he tipped his head backwards and busted out laughing, his throaty laughter loud enough to make a couple of heads turn their way. Ichigo didn't mind, he didn't mind at all. He just kept staring at the blue-haired man and smiling in amusement.

"Good one!" the blunet chuckled after the big fit was over, "Really good one."

"Like I said; it's four pm."

"And what do you do at five?"

Ichigo shrugged nonchalantly. "Dunno." Then he smirked and blinked at the other a little flirtatiously. "You can always stick around to find out by then."

One blue eyebrow rose and so did the edges of Grimmjow's mouth. "I'd like that," he murmured, his eyes lingering on Ichigo's face before he averted his gaze and leaned back on his chair. "So," he started again, crossing his arms in front of his broad chest, "I didn't exactly catch your name. Care to let me know?"

Ichigo traced the rim of his cup with his index and bit his lower lip. Was the gorgeous blue-haired man flirting with him as well? That was great. It felt really good and a little nostalgic because Ichigo had been so busy lately he had almost forgotten how sex and flirting were done.

Sex? Did he just think about sex?

"My name is Ichigo," he said, "Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Excuse me," Riruka interrupted them, just when Grimmjow had opened his mouth to say something. She dropped Grimmjow's order in front of the man, spilling some of its contents. Well, the girl definitely didn't look very happy. "Your tea, mister."

However, Grimmjow didn't get mad. He instead picked up a napkin and started wiping the spilled tea from the surface. "Riruka, darling, be nice in front of the customers," he grinned at her charmingly but she ignored him and stormed off. The blunet chuckled and shook his head, twirling his tea with the spoon, "This girl hates me."

Ichigo's eyes lingered on the other's fingers. The same fingers that had so sweetly caressed the piano before. Wow, they were so. . .pretty. They were slim and elegant, long too. Ichigo's thoughts started drifting towards the naughty areas, as in how Grimmjow's fingers would feel on his skin, on his face, on his. . .but he caught himself before he started drooling. "Clearly," he said instead in amusement, "But why?"

"Beats me," Grimmjow shrugged, clearly not giving a shit. He looked up at Ichigo with a small smile. "What I was going to say before she interrupted," he added, ". . .is that you have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen, Ichigo."

That actually shocked the orange-haired man. It shocked him enough to rise both of his eyebrows to his hairline. Him? But his eyes were a boring, common brown! "Says the guy with the blue eyes."

"Blue eyes are just a recessive gene. That's the only special thing about them," he said, taking a sip from his tea, "But brown eyes are so versatile, they change with the sun, the weather, with what you wear. Not all of them though."

Intrigued, Ichigo placed his elbows on the table and gave the blunet his undivided attention. "So what's the deal with mine?"

"They're incredibly expressive." His voice was soft, almost dreamy, his eyes endless, calm oceans. "There's nothing more beautiful than that."

"Oh," Ichigo muttered and averted his gaze while a small blush found its way to his cheeks again. The blue-haired man's compliment had taken him aback. It made his heart race. No one had ever told him something like that before. "That's. . ." he stuttered. "That's really nice of you. Thanks."

"You're welcome," the other smiled and winked saucily. "So, you're not interested in learning my name? Or were you paying attention when I introduced myself on stage?"

Ichigo wasn't sure whether he wanted to play hard to get and pretend as if he didn't know the man's name or simply show that he had indeed paid attention. He wanted Grimmjow to know that he was interested but on the other hand, he didn't want to appear too desperate. So he decided to do something. . .sneaky. "What do you want to hear?" he asked.

Grimmjow smiled at him and his beautiful fingers teased the cup's handle. "I wanna hear. . ." He trailed off and licked his top lip, thinking. But in the end, he simply fixed his stare right on Ichigo, arresting the poor man's heart. "I wanna hear that you paid attention."

"Well then," Ichigo breathed, trying not to show how breathless Grimmjow's eyes had just left him, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Grimmjow."

A big grin broke the other's face into two. God, he looked so happy and adorable it made Ichigo's stomach quiver. Ichigo just wanted to kiss him. "The pleasure is all mine, Ichigo," he said with his sweet voice, "You come here often?"

"Well, as often as my work allows me," Ichigo sighed, a little bit of work stress returning to him, but not enough. Grimmjow's eyebrows rose in genuine interest.

"And if I may ask, what do you do for a living?"

"I'm a divorce attorney."

"Oh," Grimmjow nodded. He looked impressed. "That sounds kinda stressful."

Ichigo chuckled nervously. "Very stressful. So let's talk about something else. Like you, for example; you started working here lately?"

"Uh, yeah," Grimmjow said, sipping from his tea, "I got a student loan to pay and, well, I gotta work. "

"Sounds tough," Ichigo gave the man a sympathetic smile, "What are you studying?"

"Music of course," the blunet said with the biggest of grins on his face, his blue eyes sparkling, "That's why I came to work here."

It was so incredible to see people passionate about what they were doing. Ichigo rarely saw that anymore. It restored a little bit of his lost faith in humanity. It made him smile. And he flashed a genuine smile for the blue-haired man. "I think it is a great choice. Because you're pretty good at it, if you want my honest opinion."

Grimmjow averted his gaze and scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Oh shut up, you."

Ichigo chuckled in amusement. "When someone deserves a praise, I give it," he said.

"Thanks, I guess."

"So, Grimmjow," Ichigo sighed heavily and put his mug down, his eyes straying to the watch on his wrist. Break time over. "As much as I'd love to sit here and talk to you, I have to go back to work soon."

The handsome face in front of him fell, gorgeous blue eyes filling with disappointment. "Aw c'mon, already?"

"Yup," he huffed and fished his wallet out of his pocket. He wasn't happy to go back to work either. But what he was unhappy about for the most was that he had to part with the handsome young man, who, most likely, he would never see again. He didn't know when he would have enough free time to come visit Spirit again...

When Ichigo was about to retrieve some money from his wallet, a large, elegant hand stopped him by touching his own. Brown eyes glanced up and met with lively blue. "Nu-uh, pretty boy," Grimmjow denied, shaking his head, "My treat."

"No way," was Ichigo's immediate response, his infamous scowl surfacing.

"Hush, don't get mad," Grimmjow smirked at him, "You'll treat me next time."

N-Next time? Grimmjow wanted another time? Hold up, hold up. . .the man didn't say that. . . "When you say next time, you mean. . .?"

"I mean a date, Ichigo," Grimmjow stated, blue eyes dancing with mirth, "Gimme your phone."

"My phone?"

"I wanna type my number so you can call me any time you want and ask me out." Grimmjow beckoned with his finger, his face growing impatient. "Gimme your phone."

Unable to react properly towards the situation, Ichigo simply switched on his phone and handed it to the blue-haired man who confidently took it in his hands and started typing something really fast on the screen. Before Ichigo could even blink, it was over. "Here you go," he chirped and stood up from the chair. To his utter surprise, Grimmjow cupped his face and before Ichigo could react, a pair of soft lips briefly met his own. It was only for a moment. It was so brief, so short. But it left Ichigo breathless.

"Can't wait for your phone call, ginger," whispered the little imp with a smirk before he pulled away and skidded away to the back of the store, leaving Ichigo with his mouth hanging open and his breath stuck in his throat.

The orange-haired man stayed like this for a couple of moments until his brain restarted its function and a shaky sigh left his lips. Brown eyes glanced down at the phone, the screen blinking back to him "Grimmjow Jacks." and a couple of numbers underneath. _Holy shit. Holy shit, I got myself a date. A hot date for that matter. Holy shit._ The smirk was quick on his face, almost instant.

Who said busy men couldn't get dates?

But something was nagging at the back of Ichigo's mind. Something very, very important...

 _What the hell is that?_ he thought. And then his phone was ringing, and he pulled it from his pocket, looking down at the screen.

He froze then, wanting nothing more than to melt into a puddle of nothingness. He'd indeed forgotten something. Or _someone_ to be precise.

"Hey you," he answered with a strained smile.

"Hello, Ichigo. I've confirmed our reservation for tonight." An orange eyebrow slid upwards as Ichigo made his way down the sidewalk.

"Reservation? Why?"

"Because we're having dinner tonight. We've been planning this dinner for two weeks." Ichigo frowned as he waited for the light that would allow him to cross the street safely.

"I suppose I forgot. I'm sorry, but I just got slammed with this huge ass case today, and I don't think -"

"Don't worry about it. I'll see you at home."

The man on the other end of the line hung up well before Ichigo could formulate a response. He looked at his phone as he crossed the street, letting out a sigh as he headed for his office.


	2. You're everything that I see. . .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my friend kurokun for her help with this chapter ^_^

**Chapter Two : _You're everything that I see. . ._**

_By: Drake_

Grimmjow hummed the tune of the song he'd performed earlier that night as he wiped down a table. He couldn't believe how well his first night performing had went; he'd gotten to play and he'd met a gorgeous man with whom he planned to have a date by the end of the week. Things were looking up for the struggling musician.

He didn't really have some kind of harrowing sob story, but his life hadn't been a walk in the park either. His parents were both neuroscientists and of course had expected him to follow in their footsteps. The older Grimmjow had gotten though, the more he realized that all he wanted to do was sing. When he told his parents about his decision to audition for Juilliard, they were extremely disappointed, his mother more so than his father. He still remembered the day he told them. It was the day after graduation. He'd already been accepted and had his audition date.

_"Are you excited to be going to Stanford, Grimmjow?" his mother, Juliana, asked from the front seat of his father's Range Rover. Grimmjow rolled his eyes and turned to look out of the window, propping his head on his fist._

_"I'd be excited if I was going there," he responded, coldly._

_"What are you talking about, son?" his father asked, looking at him in the rear view mirror. Grimmjow sat up then, taking a deep breath before he spoke._

_"I'm not going to Stanford. I'm going to Juilliard. I've already been accepted. My audition is in two weeks." The only sound in the vehicle was the soft voices of the speakers on NPR as Grimmjow waited with bated breath for one of his parents to respond to what he'd just said._

_"And when were you planning on telling us?" his mother asked, her tone filled with distaste._

_"Just did," Grimmjow replied, nonchalantly, returning to his previous position._

_"Don't speak to your mother that way, Grimmjow."_

_“Practice what you preach, Father.”_

_“Alright, that’s enough of the attitude, Grimmjow. You’ve been acting like a certified brat for the past three months and I’ve had enough to be quite frank. We are paying for your education, and we will not waste our money on something as fruitless as music.” Grimmjow glared fiercely at his mother, not at all approving of her harsh and condescending tone._

_“You’ve never even heard me sing,” he grumbled._

_“Nor do I want to. It’s a waste of time and intelligence. You are graduating in the top fifth percentile of your class, Grimmjow. Think of what you could be doing to change the world.”_

_“What if I want to change the world through music?” He saw his mother’s vibrant blue eyes that matched his own roll upwards._

_“I can’t deal with this, Malcolm. Please handle your son.” Grimmjow frowned at his mother’s dismissing statement. He looked up at the rearview mirror, catching his father’s dark brown eyes with his own. He was hoping against hope that his dad would have his back._

_“Son, you know we only want what’s best for you. If you want to go to this music school, you can.” Juliana gasped and Grimmjow pumped his fist in the air, grinning from ear-to-ear. “However -” Malcolm interrupted his son’s celebrating, giving him a stern look from the front. “we are not going to pay for you to go.”_

_Grimmjow’s smile disappeared immediately. His father had to know how expensive the school was. There was no way he could afford to go without his parents’ help. He wouldn’t give up though. This is what he wanted for himself, and he’d achieve his goals, with or without his family._

“Could you hurry it up, Casanova? Some of us want to go home tonight,” Riruka called from across the dining area. Grimmjow smiled as he finished wiping the table and picked up some teacups from another.

“What’s up with you, sweetheart? It’s like you live to antagonize me.”

“Contrary to your beliefs, sweetheart,” Riruka chided as she swept the floor quickly. “the world does not revolve around you. This is the way I am.”

"Well, maybe consider working on that? It’s really not cute,” he replied in a sing-song voice.

“You know what’s not cute? You.”

“Ha! You thought! I’m fine as hell,” Grimmjow responded, laughing as Riruka rolled her eyes.

“That’s not even what I meant, you narcissistic asshole. I meant the way you were blatantly flirting with Mr. Kurosaki. Do you know who he is?” Grimmjow put a finger against his chin, feigning deep thought.

“Soon to be my man?” Riruka groaned loudly as Grimmjow started cackling again. He really could not get enough of poking fun at her. Her reactions were way too priceless.

“You know what, I was going to try to help you, but I can see right now that the kind of help you need, I cannot provide.” She turned to leave for the back, but Grimmjow stopped her.

“Okay, serious time. What’s so bad about him? Is he like some kind of gangster or mob boss? Because he told me he was a divorce attorney.”

"No it’s not that. It’s. . .well. . .”

“Spit it out, bro, I’m dying here!” Grimmjow exclaimed. He wasn’t the most patient of men.

“He’s dating someone! They’ve been together for two years, and are strongly considering marriage."

Grimmjow took a step back from the girl before him, frowning in disbelief.

“How do you know that?” he asked. Riruka frowned back at him, crossing her arms over her chest.

“How do you think?” Grimmjow looked at her skeptically, and she sighed, continuing to sweep the floor. “You think you’re the first person in here to approach him? I mean have you seen him? Did you look at him with those pretty eyes of yours? He’s glorious.”

That was true. Grimmjow sighed as he finished wiping his last table. He was so stupid. How could he think that someone like that would just be available? Or that they’d want to be with his young, stupid ass anyway.

Even still, he couldn’t get the older man out of his head. That smile, that laugh, that voice, those eyes. _God damn those eyes._ The man was absolutely perfect. Grimmjow couldn’t just let that go. He decided he’d wait for Ichigo to call him, and explain himself. If he didn’t then he’d just ask him the next time the other male came to the shop. Either way, he’d find out what the real deal was.

* * *

Ichigo sighed as he walked through the entrance of his two-story brick home. He could feel the tension in the room as he crossed through the foyer and into the living room where his boyfriend of two years sat on the sofa. He gave the man a tight smile before he set his briefcase down on one of the armchairs.

“Hey, you. I’m sorry about earlier,” he apologized sincerely, taking the spot next to the other on the couch.

“We’ll be on the waiting list for two months to go to that restaurant, Ichigo,” Shuuhei grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I’m sorry Shuu,” Ichigo sighed as he dropped his bag in the spacious foyer and loosened his tie. “I just have a lot going on at the firm.”

“Right, a lot going on,” his partner mumbled despondently. Ichigo frowned and came around to the sofa and sat next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. But instead of turning into the touch, Shuuhei stood and walked to the kitchen bar, fiddling with his phone on its surface. “I guess since you have a lot going on I should probably get out of your way.”

"Please don’t be like that,” Ichigo said in response, flopping back into the cushions.

“Don’t be like what?” Shuuhei asked with a sarcastic laugh. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You do know,” he responded crossly, irritation seeping into his tone. These petty arguments had been happening more and more often, Shuuhei acting distant and pouting like a child while Ichigo tried to diffuse the situation through his own exhaustion. Ichigo stood and removed his tie, then started unbuttoning his dress shirt with another sigh, walking towards the bedroom.

“And now you’re just going to walk away. How typical,” Ichigo heard from behind him. He turned quickly and strode back over, patience wearing thin.

“You know I really don’t need this,” he spat out sharply. “I work ten hour days or more trying to provide for us, dealing with people’s fucked up lives while trying to make sense of their misery and I don’t need to come home and have to deal with misery of my own. Is that too much to ask?”

Shuuhei was silent for a few moments, jaw set hard, before he looked up at Ichigo and gave him a smug, dismissive smile.

“You mean you flirt and play nice with your clients for a living to get what you want? Because that’s all I see.”

Ichigo was surprised at the sting of the words, mouth dropping open slightly as he perceived them. He pretended that he was trying to subdue his anger, but more than anything he was just postponing the hurt. He turned quickly on his heel and strode into the bedroom, changing into a pair of slim jeans and pulling on a sweatshirt before packing a few personal items into an overnight bag. He ignored the man next to him as he bumbled out weak apologies before finally walking back through the entryway and out to the street.

And of course, it was raining now. It was almost too dramatically perfect. Ichigo pulled up his hood and walked down the street, thankful that his turbulent home was at least close to downtown. As he prowled the streets around him, water seeping into his clothing, and looked around seeking refuge only to find a myriad of trendy clubs with loud, thumping music.

_Not very conducive to going over case materials._

Finally tired of getting drenched he ducked into a late night coffee shop, dim lighting not exactly good for reading, but it would be enough. He shook out his hair as he stepped inside, brushing off any excess droplets he could before walking to a table and pulling out a chair. But before he could sit, he heard a sinful and rather familiar voice call to him innocently from behind.

“Ichigo?”

_Blue_.

“You? What are you doing here?” the oranget asked, sitting down at an available table. He slipped his hood off and shook his head to rid himself of some of the water droplets as Grimmjow sat down in front of him, giving him a worried look.

“I’m picking up a friend. His job isn’t nearly as fun as mine,” the blue-haired male responded, smiling genuinely. Ichigo admired his handsome, young face before he flagged down a waitress and ordered a black coffee.

“Oh. What time does your friend get off?” he asked, getting out a few case files and fishing his reading glasses out of his bag, situating them onto his nose. He didn’t need them desperately, but with the lighting, he figured they’d help. He was looking over his recently acquired abomination of a case when he realized that Grimmjow had yet to answer his question. He looked up from his work to see the gorgeous man staring at him intently. The two met eyes and Grimmjow’s head tilted to the side, lips parting slightly as he watched him. His lips were fuller than Ichigo had thought. After his head cleared from the haze of blue in his vision, a perfectly manicured orange brow arched up curiously. “Uh. . .you okay?” The younger male shook his head rapidly, and then nodded.

“I’m fine, sorry. What was your question again?” Ichigo chuckled and returned his attention back to the file, repeating his question for the flustered male before him. “Oh he doesn’t get off for another hour or so, but I didn’t see the point in going home when I could just hang out here. The bear claws here are killer. Don’t tell Mr. Sosuke I said that though.” The older male laughed as Grimmjow looked around anxiously as if Sosuke had the place bugged and would come for him at any moment. He fixed his oceanic gaze back on Ichigo. “So I told you what I’m doing here. What’re you doing out so late?”

Ichigo sighed, rubbing his temple. He was wondering if it was worth it to mention Shuuhei to the younger male now. Honestly, he hadn’t been happy with the raven-haired male for quite some time, the petty fights wearing his patience thin and making him question the relationship more than not. He just hadn’t gotten around to breaking up with him.

“I got into an argument with my. . .”

“Your boyfriend?” Ichigo’s eyes widened as he looked at the blue-haired man in front of him. How did he know that? Grimmjow gave him a sad smile, before looking away, staring across the café at nothing in particular. “That’s a shame,” he mumbled almost to himself, “you’d think he’d be working harder to keep you.” Ichigo found himself fighting a blush as the younger’s intense stare from before returned. Ichigo met his eyes, peering into the lidded blue depths as they swirled with something unrecognizable. He could be wrong, but they almost looked longing. Averting his own eyes the orange-haired male cleared his throat before fixing his glasses and shifting in his seat, trying to avoid being consumed.

“Well, um. . .it takes two to tango, you know?” he said, finally. “Can’t be in a relationship by yourself, and I’ve been kind of distant as of late. He has a right to be upset with me.”

Saying it out loud made Ichigo realize what he’d been missing. He’d been a real jerk, and he needed to apologize. He knew he wasn’t perfect; when things started going downhill, he chose to remove himself emotionally instead of doing the responsible thing and ending the relationship. Whether or not he and Shuu would work things out was debatable, but he still needed to show that he was at least willing to try.

“I guess you’re right. I’m sorry,” Grimmjow said, running a hand through his messy sky blue locks. Ichigo raised a brow, taking off his glasses.

“What for?”

“It’s a difficult situation to be in, and I’m sure I didn’t make it any easier by kissing you. I don’t want you to think bad of me.”

Ichigo smiled, and reached across the table, covering Grimmjow’s hand with his own. “Don’t worry. There’s no way you could’ve known, and it’d take a lot more than that to make me dislike you.”

The smile that illuminated Grimmjow’s face nearly stopped Ichigo’s poor heart. It was a different smile than his cocky one he displayed when he’d performed earlier that day, and it was far from the sad smile he’d given Ichigo when he’d brought up the elder’s boyfriend. He was. . .beautiful when he smiled like that. Ichigo blushed again slightly, deciding that he liked this smile the best.

“Hey,” Grimmjow said, pulling him from his trance, “would you mind listening to something I’m planning for my next performance?” Ichigo nodded instantly, feeling his chest tighten a bit as he thought of Grimmjow’s ethereal voice. He bit his lip when the younger smiled _that_ smile again before he reached into his messenger bag, pulling out an iPad and messing with it a bit, until the sounds of a piano started to come from the speaker. Ichigo took a sip of his coffee as the blue haired male started to sing,

_“I’ve got my eyes on you. You’re everything that I see; I want your hot love and emotion, endlessly. I can’t get over you; you’ve left your mark on me; I want your hot love and emotion, endlessly. . .”_

Ichigo found himself smiling as the other male’s voice wrapped effortlessly around the notes of the song he recognized instantly. Grimmjow looked up from his makeshift keyboard to meet Ichigo’s gaze. The corners of his mouth turned up in a grin as he looked back, unable to hide his awe. His voice was a smooth tenor that stroked the chords and resonated in Ichigo’s chest, causing his heart to stutter.

_“‘Cause you’re a good girl and you know it; you act so different around me. ‘Cause you’re a good girl and you know it. I know exactly who you could be. So just hold on, we’re going home. . .”_

Ichigo noticed that the few patrons who’d been in the shop with them had turned to watch Grimmjow sing, and they all seemed just as enchanted as the orange haired male was himself. Grimmjow didn’t seem to notice though. He was focused solely on Ichigo; his oceanic eyes became even more vast when he sang. It was like watching the tide rise at dusk, creating a dark and bottomless sea of feeling instead of water. They glimmered slightly as he looked Ichigo up and down, the elder noticing his eyes linger on his throat as he released a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

_“You’re the girl, you’re the one; gave you every. . .thing I love. I think there’s something. . . baby. . .I think there’s something. . .baby. . .”_

Ichigo felt himself blushing again, embarrassed by the singer’s intense stare. When Grimmjow finished singing, the other customers and some of the employees joined Ichigo in giving him a round of applause. The blue haired male seemed surprised before he bowed his head slightly, looking away from Ichigo for only a moment to accept the praise. The oranget packed up his things, deciding to chance going home and trying to make amends with his boyfriend. He needed to talk to Shuu immediately, or. . .he didn’t know what would happen if he didn’t, but he was sure it’d be a mess. He was standing to leave when Grimmjow gripped his wrist and stopped him. He caught that intense blue gaze yet again, noticing that same look of longing, which he definitely recognized as such that time.

“Why are you jetting? Was it that shitty?” he asked. Ichigo shook his head, smiling slightly as the pink crept onto his cheeks again.

“Quite the opposite, actually,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “It was. . .umm, you should definitely sing it next time.” Grimmjow gave him one of his new favorite smiles.

“Will you be there to see me do it?”

“Probably not. I don’t get to go as often as I’d like to. As a matter of fact, today was the first time I’ve gone in a while.” Ichigo watched as the singer visibly deflated. Those beautiful blue depths grew shallow as he looked away from Ichigo. Grimmjow’s body also stiffened, and Ichigo felt. . .guilty. Not thinking about his action, Ichigo reached over, laying a hand on Grimmjow’s chest. “Hey, I’ve got your number. How’s about I call you when I’m going to come?” Grimmjow turned back to him, staring at him passively for a moment. Ichigo found him impossible to read, and was shocked when he felt the warmth of Grimmjow’s large hand over his own. The oranget blushed again, resisting the urge to draw his hand away as if it’d been burnt; just that simple contact was enough to have his sweat glands working overtime and his mind wandering into places it had no business being in.

“Or,” the younger male said with a quiet purposeful tone, “you could just call to, you know. . .talk?” Ichigo chuckled, nervously, managing to pull his hand free as he pulled his bag strap across his shoulder.

“I. . .suppose I could. I’ll see you around, Grimmjow.” He turned to leave, barely hearing Grimmjow whisper,

“Promise?” The innocence and hope he heard in the blue-haired singer’s smooth voice, made him stop dead in his tracks. He glanced over his shoulder, smiling gently.

“Promise.”


	3. And they called it puppy love. . .

**Chapter Three : _And they called it puppy love. . ._**

_By: Paul Anka_

“Yo, Jacks! Throw me those cords!” Grimmjow picked up the cords that his friend, Renji, had requested, tossing them across the room before settling down on the edge of the stage with his guitar. He tuned it absently, humming the tune to a song he hadn’t heard in a while, but for some reason wouldn’t get out of his head. His good friend, Nelliel, came and plopped down next to him.

“What’cha doin’?” she asked, nudging his shoulder gently. He smirked, and nudged her back.

“Nothin’,” he responded, easily.

He wasn’t crazy popular or anything, but he had a great group of friends. He’d met Nelliel on his first day; she’d been running through the hall trying to make it to her ballet class on time when she ran straight into him. He helped her pick up her books and she’d given him directions to his music composition class. After that day, they were pretty much inseparable. Rumors about them dating of course started to circulate quickly, but they were all debunked when Nelliel announced that she was asexual.

Grimmjow and Renji met during a gathering outside of school. He was an extremely talented hip-hop dancer, and both he and Grimmjow had been asked to attend by their mutual friend, Shukuro. They bonded through the fact that they were the youngest people there, and both of them had been invited to perform. Grimmjow was overjoyed when he found out the crimson-haired male would also be attending Juilliard that fall. He was the one to give Grimmjow the nickname, “Jacks”, because he couldn’t pronounce the blue-haired male’s surname properly. It soon caught on with the rest of his friends too.

Grimmjow’s only other close friend was an albino named Takashi. He was studying drama at the school, and after hanging out with the other male for the past five months, he definitely understood why. To say Takashi was dramatic would be an understatement. He had these strange inverted eyes that freaked Grimmjow out the first time they met, but after they started talking, he realized that they had a lot in common, even down to scientist parents. Takashi’s dad was a biochemical engineer, while his mom was an endocrinologist. The only difference was that Takashi’s parents actually supported his dream of becoming an actor.

“How’d your first night performing at Spirit go?” Nel asked, swinging her legs back and forth. Grimmjow smiled slightly as he thought of his performance, and the amazing orange-haired male he got to meet because of it.

“It was great,” he responded easily, as he continued to mess with his guitar. Takashi came over then, sitting down in a chair in the front row.

“I’m sure it was, since some hottie with orange hair had you singing Drake.” Nel busted out laughing as Grimmjow glared at Takashi, throwing his guitar pick at the albino’s head. Takashi laughed loudly causing Renji to come over to see what all the commotion was about.

“What song was it?” Nel asked, once she calmed down some, only to start up again when Takashi told her which song it was. “Oh my goodness, did you cry?”

“Just about.”

“Y’all quit, damn,” Renji said, sitting next to Takashi and popping him upside his head. “Ain’t nothin’ wrong with lettin’ ya soft side out.”

“Thanks, I guess. . .?” Grimmjow said, as he used his fingers to play the tune he’d finally gotten right, humming along softly as his friends chatted amongst themselves and he became lost in his thoughts.

Though things were looking up for him, there was still one thing bothering him. He hadn't heard from either of his parents in the five months since he’d moved to New York. He knew they were mad at him, but he couldn’t understand why. Was what he wanted to do really that bad? God, they were acting like he was starting an international drug ring. All he wanted to do was sing. What was so wrong about that? He expected this kind of behavior from his mother, who’d always been somewhat melodramatic, but his father had been supporting him throughout his whole life. He was Grimmjow’s best friend, the person he could rely on when everyone else turned their back on him. How could he just abandon him like this?

His thoughts drifted from his parents to his. . .well, he didn’t really know what to call the older man. His friend? Yeah, he'd go with that for now. He'd only known the oranget for a day, but he knew he wanted to keep him in his life forever. Grimmjow found himself smiling when he thought about how he'd sung that song to Ichigo; he had no intentions of singing it during his next performance at the shop. He just wanted to sing to him. The orange haired man looked so surprised by it, and that in itself was so cute. And when Ichigo touched him. . .well, he didn't even need to go near those thoughts. After all, the elder did have a boyfriend, no matter how strained their relationship was. Grimmjow wanted to be with him more than anything, but he was no home wrecker.

He was brought out of his inner world by Nel nudging him again.

"What's up?"

"What are you playing?" she asked. He raised an eyebrow, shocked that she couldn't recognize it. It was a classic. He smiled and played the tune, ignoring Takashi's snickering as he began to sing,

_"And they called it puppy love; well I guess, they'll never know. How a young heart really feels, and why I love him so. . ."_

"Oh, I do know this song! Aww, you must really like this guy, Jacks," Nel said, with a dreamy look in her eyes. The green-haired girl was a complete and utter hopeless romantic. Grimmjow felt his face warm up when she said that.

He did really like Ichigo. So he decided right then that he would wait. He would wait as long as he'd have to for the man to be his.

"Aye, y'all wanna go grab some grub before afternoon classes start?" Renji asked. Nel and Takashi nodded instantly while Grimmjow held off, pulling out his phone.

"Hang on, lemme check my balance, with my broke ass." He messed with his phone, opening his bank app and typing in his password. He was shocked when he saw the account balance. He went to the transaction history, noticing a deposit about two weeks prior. He had almost six thousand dollars, and there was only one place it could've come from. He turned to his friends, smiling happily. "Alright, squad, lunch is on me."

Renji and Takashi hooped and hollered, while Nel gave him an inquisitive look. He shrugged, and followed his friends out the door. As they walked down the hallway, he pulled out his phone and dialed his father's number. He didn't answer, which Grimmjow expected, but he didn't need him to. He waited patiently for his father's voicemail greeting to finish before he spoke,

"Hey, Dad. I just wanted to let you know that I'm okay. I miss you guys though. Thanks for your help. I love you both. Call me when you can."

He smiled as he hung up the phone. He knew his dad would never let him down. His mom was a different story though. He knew if she just heard him sing, she'd change her tune - no pun intended. She’d always been so hard on him, ever since he started kindergarten. She only wanted what was best for him, he definitely understood that, but her delivery could certainly use some work. If his dad called him back, then he would call his mom. There was no way he’d let his relationship with his parents end like this.

* * *

 Ichigo rubbed his eyes behind his glasses. It'd been one hell of a day, and it wasn't even noon yet. The new case he'd been saddled with was absolutely horrendous. These people were an absolute mess. He'd come to that conclusion after sitting with them earlier that day.

_"Ma'am, if you can just sit down, we can get started," the orange haired attorney said, taking the seat next to his client. The blonde haired woman glared at her soon to be ex husband before she sat down at the table across from Ichigo and him. Her lawyer, a stoic woman named Nemu Kurotsuchi, sat next to her. Ichigo took their file out of his briefcase, adjusting his glasses as he read it._

_Mrs. Jaegerjaquez had filed for divorce under the claim of irreconcilable differences. They had no minor children, only a nineteen-year-old son who'd already moved out on his own, so really the case should have been a piece of cake. But it wasn't._

_"You are the scum of the earth, Malcolm. After this is over, I never want to speak to you again."_

_Ichigo glanced at the man next to him, watching as he deflated with his wife's words. He couldn't see what the man had done to cause a twenty-four year marriage to end so abruptly. Whatever it was, it had to be pretty damn bad._

_"Mrs. Jaegerjaquez -"_

_"Stefano," the woman corrected. Ichigo raised a brow. "My maiden name is Stefano."_

_"Ms. Stefano," Ichigo said, correcting himself, "I understand that you don't wish to receive alimony payments from Mr. Jaegerjaquez?"_

_"That's right. I don't want anything from this sorry bastard except for him to sign the papers."_

_"Well I'm not going to," Malcolm Jaegerjaquez spoke up for the first time since the session began. Both of Juliana's eyebrows shot up at his statement._

_"And what the hell do you mean by that, huh?"_

_"It means," he said, his fists clenching on the table, "that I will not throw away twenty-four years of my life for something as childish as this."_

_"Childish? You think I'm being childish?" Juliana growled, standing from her seat and leaning over the table, practically spitting venom at her husband. Malcolm stood too, placing his hands on the table and getting in Juliana's face._

_"As a matter of fact I do. That is my son, Juliana. If I want to help him, I'm going to."_

_"You think that's what this is about?"_

_Malcolm seemed confused as he leaned back, looking at Juliana as if he was seeing her for the first time. The blonde seemed to become even angrier, and Ichigo and everyone else in the room jumped when she slammed her palm against the table._

_"I know, Malcolm! I know about your daughter!"_

_The whole room became tight with a deafening silence. Malcolm's brown eyes widened visibly while Juliana's blue ones filled with tears. She looked away from her husband, not wanting to let him see her tears fall._

_"H-how did you find out?" Malcolm asked, quietly, as he lowered himself back down to his seat._

_"I checked the bank records. Fifteen years, Malcolm. You hid this from me for_ fifteen _years. How could you do that?"_

_Malcolm didn't respond as Juliana returned to her seat as well, Nemu offering her a box of facial tissues._

_Definitely not a piece of cake._

Ichigo sighed as he packed up his things, preparing to leave for a quick break. He needed a break from the office, possibly some fresh air, and maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't come back at all. He was so stressed almost constantly because of his job. Of course his relationship stressed him out too, but nothing took up more space in the stress bank than his job at Kuchiki & Associates. He loved being an attorney once, but now. . .now things were different. Ever since he'd made senior partner two years ago - the youngest attorney ever to do so - he hadn't seen a day of rest. Yeah, he slept - barely - but rest? Not at all. Cases came to him left and right, with almost no space in between. He supposed that was the downside to being the best at what he did.

The stress that his work caused him spilled over into his love life. He still felt bad about how strained things were between Shuuhei and him. He remembered when they first met. It was around the same time he was promoted to partner. In fact, Shuuhei's case was the one that won Ichigo the promotion to senior partner. That's right, Shuuhei had been Ichigo's client at the time. He was involved in a nasty divorce with a man named Kensei Muguruma, a retired football star twelve years his senior. The man was apparently a brute, and had abused Shuuhei throughout the entirety of their five year relationship. When Ichigo first saw the onyx-haired male, he was smitten almost instantly. The quiet, easygoing man had stolen his heart before he ever said a word. They waited for Shuuhei's divorce to be finalized before they went on their first date, and after that first date, Ichigo was sure he wanted to be with Shuuhei forever. Forever didn’t seem to be that long though.

He sighed once more as he left his office, telling his assistant that he’d be back in a half hour. He hadn’t decided if that was a lie or not. He stopped walking when he heard someone calling his name. It was his junior partner, Rukia Kuchiki, the younger sister of the owner of the firm.

“Where are you heading off to, Ichigo?” she asked, catching up and falling in step with him. He shrugged as he pushed the button to call up the elevator, allowing her to enter before him when it came.

“Just going to get some air.”

“Mind if I come with you? I need to talk to you about something.” Ichigo nodded as they walked out of the building together. There were a few minutes of silence before Rukia spoke. “Ashido asked me to marry him.” Ichigo raised a brow.

“Really now? And what did you say?”

“I said I would think about it.”

Ichigo thought about how he’d been considering asking Shuuhei to marry him. With the way things had been going between them as of late, he was at least ninety-six percent sure that that would be a big mistake. At least he hadn’t spent money on a ring already.

"What do you think I should do?" the violet eyed woman asked. Ichigo shrugged. He knew the woman saw him as an older brother and a confidant, but when it came to things like this, she should've known that he'd be useless. He was a divorce attorney for a reason. He was good at ending things between people, not putting them together. Damn, he was barely keeping his own shit together.

"You should do what you feel is best."

"Aww, don't give me that clichéd bullshit, Ichigo. Tell me what you really think."

Ichigo gave her the side-eye and then shifted his gaze back ahead of himself. He thought for a moment about what he'd seen of her relationship with the maroon haired firefighter. They'd been together since he'd known Rukia, which was a good seven years. It didn't seem like either one of them wanted anyone else, at least not from his perspective. He gave a quick nod before he turned to her.

"I think you should say yes," he said, smiling. Rukia's face split with a bright smile.

"Really?"

"Sure. Who else is going to put up with your bossy ass?" That statement earned him a harsh pinch, and he grunted, rubbing the offended area.

"You'll come to the wedding, right?" Ichigo smiled, ruffling Rukia's black hair the same way he would one of his younger sisters.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world."


	4. You get me closer to God. . .

##  Chapter Four: _You get me closer to God. . ._

_By: Nine Inch Nails_

Ichigo opened his front door, shrugging out of his jacket and hanging it up on the rack. He sniffed the air, taking in the scent of cooking meat. He smiled as he slipped off his shoes and padded through the living room into the kitchen where his boyfriend stood at the stove, watching over a frying pan full of assorted vegetables. Shuuhei hadn’t noticed his presence yet, so he took the opportunity to slide in behind him, wrapping his arms around the shorter male’s waist and placing a kiss on his shoulder. Shuuhei jumped at the initial contact before he relaxed, leaning against Ichigo’s chest.

“That smells good,” the orange haired male said. His boyfriend turned around in his arms then, hugging him around his waist.

“You smell good,” he said, kissing Ichigo’s lips softly. Ichigo smirked against his lips, pecking them again before he pulled away and sat down at the table.

“Don’t tell lies, babe. What’re you making?” he asked as he loosened his tie. Shuuhei turned back to the stove.

“Roast beef and sauteed vegetables, your favorite, of course.”

“Oh? And to what do I owe this pleasure?” Shuuhei turned the heat off under the skillet before he wiped his hands on a cloth and made his way over to where Ichigo sat. He sat down on his lap, leaning his head on Ichigo’s shoulder.

“You owe it to me being an asshole. I know your work stresses you out; I know it more than anyone. I’m sorry, babe.” Ichigo gripped the dark-haired male’s chin, staring into his steel grey eyes. He knew as he looked down at him that he truly loved Shuuhei; he loved him from the three scars on his right cheek that were a result of an altercation with his ex-husband, to the 69 tattoo on his left cheek that he was forced to get because of the same man. Yes, he loved Shuuhei dearly. But was he in love with him? That he didn’t know for certain anymore.

He brushed the other’s cheek with his thumb, bringing their lips together. As they kissed, Ichigo found himself drifting away. He drifted, and drifted, until nothing but blue surrounded him. Blue eyes, and blue hair, and a voice that took his breath away. He kissed Shuuhei harder, trying to will the images of the blue-haired vocalist from his head. He didn’t need this right now. He was sure things would go back to normal between him and Shuu if he just tried hard enough. Grimmjow was just some silly kid who sang Drake songs to old men he’d only just met.

 _I’m way too old for him_ , he thought, as he tightened the hold he had on his boyfriend. Shuuhei maneuvered himself so that he was straddling Ichigo’s lap. Ichigo ran his hand down Shuuhei’s back to his ass, kneading the firm muscle as he felt himself becoming aroused. Maybe there was hope after all. The smell of smoke pulled them both out of their lust crazed embrace. Shuuhei swore as he jumped out of Ichigo’s lap and opened the oven, fanning away plumes of smoke.

"Shit," he groaned as he pulled the roasting pan out of the oven. Ichigo smiled fondly as the raven-haired male sulked over the loss of the main course. He stood from his seat, crossing the room and turning the other toward himself. He hugged him close, feeling him relax in the embrace like he always did.

"It was a nice thought, baby," Ichigo said, stroking the soft black locks. "How's about I go pick up something else to go with the vegetables?"

"You don't have to, I know you're tired -"

"Hush now," he said, kissing him again. "I'll be back in a few, okay?"

Shuuhei nodded and they shared another kiss before Ichigo headed for the door, slipping back into his coat. He stepped out into the cool night air, striding down his porch stairs and out onto his driveway. Once he made it to the sidewalk, he pushed his hands into his pocket, preparing himself for the not-so-short walk to the nearest restaurant.

If he was being completely honest, he was grateful for the chance to get out of the house. It was nice interacting with Shuuhei, but that's all it was. Just nice. Everything between them was either completely frustrating or completely mundane. He felt bad about it, of course, but he couldn't help it. He had to face the harsh reality that he just wasn't attracted to Shuuhei anymore.

After about ten minutes of slow, leisurely strolling, he reached a small Thai restaurant that he and Shuu always enjoyed. He went inside, ordering their usual meal before paying and leaving with the food in tow. He was freezing, so he decided he wanted something hot to drink.

It'd been two weeks since his last visit to Spirit. As he'd predicted, he'd been far too busy to go, even on his lunches. He worked through most of them, and the ones that he did take, he shortened to fifteen or twenty minutes at best. He hadn't gotten around to calling Grimmjow either, but he figured that was for the best. This fortnight apart from the singer made him realize that nothing was possible between them. He didn't know exactly how old the other male was, but he was certain there was a large age gap. Once the gap becomes too large, the things in common start to dwindle. He'd learned that a long time ago. He decided it wouldn't hurt to swing by Spirit and grab a chamomile to go, and so he did.

He shivered as his body adjusted to the warmth that enveloped him when he stepped into the shop. He made his way over to the counter, smiling at the barista, a very talented cellist that he recognized instantly. She returned his smile before she spoke in a cheery voice,

"Hello, Mr. Kurosaki! It's been a while!" He nodded.

"Yeah, I know. How've you been, Mashiro?"

"Great! What can I get for you?" He ordered his usual tea, and paid for it.

"Can you make it to go?" he asked. Mashiro turned to him frowning.

"Oh, you don't want to do that, do you?" He raised a brow, and she giggled as she poured his tea into a normal teacup. "You'll miss the show if you leave now. It's his last set of the night, and it's going to be wild."

"Whose?" he asked, and the green-haired girl giggled once more before handing him his cup and gesturing toward the stage. Ichigo's eyes followed her action, and he bit back a gasp at what he saw. There on the stage stood the last person he needed to see right then. He was dressed in a sky blue v-neck sweater, tight ripped black skinny jeans, and black Converse. His pretty blue hair was covered by a black beanie and he sipped from a teacup before setting it back down and picking up an acoustic guitar. He smiled that cocky smile that Ichigo love-liked, before he spoke into the microphone.

"Alright, last one, I promise." He laid a hand over his muscular chest, and a chorus of disapproval reverberated across the room, mostly female voices of course. It was then that Ichigo noticed just how many people there were in the shop. Spirit was never a ghost town or anything, but he'd never seen it this packed before. Were all those people there just to see Grimmjow?

Ichigo settled himself at the counter, since it seemed to be the only place where seats were available. Grimmjow started to play his guitar, and Ichigo's eyes narrowed as he recognized the tune almost instantly. There was no way this kid was about to sing this song. No freaking way.

_"You let me violate you; you let me desecrate you; you let me penetrate you; you let me complicate you. . ."_

Ichigo's heart jumped into his throat and started doing the electric slide. He didn't need this right now. He really, really didn't need this right now. He needed to go. He needed to go back to Shuuhei and eat Thai food and watch Mad Men on Netflix.

_"I wanna fuck you like an animal; I wanna feel you from the inside; I wanna fuck you like an animal; my whole existence is flawed; you get me closer to God. . ."_

No one was closer to God than Ichigo was. The way Grimmjow's voice entangled itself in those dirty, dirty lyrics should've been illegal. It wasn't though, and it was doing Ichigo far more harm than good.

By the time Grimmjow finished the song, Ichigo was past warm to his melting point. He had to get out of there, and fast, or else something was going to go down and no one needed that drama. He stood from his seat, his drink long forgotten. He faintly heard Mashiro calling after him, but it was fleeting. Everything around him was blurred, and the only clear thing was the door in front of him. He was almost there when the voice that was slowly ruining him cut through all the background noise; his feet stopped moving without his brain's permission and he turned his head, meeting cerulean eyes with his own chocolate ones.

Grimmjow was coming toward him, brushing past at least ten different females without giving them a single glance. Ichigo swallowed against a lump in his throat, frozen where he stood. It was as if the blue haired male had him completely hypnotized; he didn't move until Grimmjow was in front of him, and it was only to close his eyes as he took in the intoxicating scent of the gorgeous man.

"Ichigo," he said, and the orange haired male's eyes slid open. Grimmjow's smile stole Ichigo's breath just like it had before. "You were seriously about to leave without saying anything?"

Ichigo looked away, fighting a losing battle against his blush. He gripped the handles of the plastic bag containing his and his boyfriend's food, refusing to meet those limpid pools of desire that Grimmjow called eyes.

"I was just. . .I, um. . .I'm sorry, but I really have to go," he said, the words rushing from his mouth like water from a fire hydrant. He tried to leave once more, but his efforts were thwarted when Grimmjow stood in front of the door, blocking the exit with his solid frame. Ichigo barely contained a groan as the blue haired male crossed his arms over his chest. He let out an exasperated sigh instead, looking at the taller male with pleading brown eyes. "Grimm, I can't stay."

"As if I'd let you leave after giving me that nickname." Ichigo bit his lip, internally cursing himself for his bad habit of shortening people's names. Grimmjow moved from in front of the door, gripping Ichigo's wrist loosely and pulling him toward the back of the shop.

"What are you doing?" he asked. It was supposed to come out malicious and full of attitude, but instead it sounded more like a scared child. Maybe he should've thrown some swears in there, but it was too late to correct his mistake; he and Grimmjow were standing in a storage room full of assorted instruments and sound equipment. The singer took a seat on a rather comfy looking couch that looked like it had no business being in there, gesturing for Ichigo to do the same. Ichigo sighed again before he sat down next to the younger male.

“Okay, we’re going to talk since you seem to have lost my number somehow,” Grimmjow said, and Ichigo felt like a jerk. He supposed he would’ve called the other if he’d had the time, but he genuinely hadn’t. He wasn’t trying to be an asshole, and he wasn’t playing hard to get; he just didn’t really have the time for anything outside of his work.

“It’s not like that,” he said, turning to face the other man. “My work is very taxing on my time. I’m not deliberately ignoring you. If I didn’t want to talk to you, I wouldn’t.” Ichigo searched Grimmjow’s face for some sign of what he was thinking, but found him unreadable. He set his bag down on a nearby table, and reached out, placing a hand on the blue-haired vocalist’s shoulder. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re really rad.”

The room was quiet as Grimmjow turned and stared at Ichigo with his swirling blue orbs. For a second, Ichigo thought he may get cursed out, but that wasn’t the case, as Grimmjow started to laugh. Ichigo was confused as to what the other found so funny, and so he waited for the younger to calm down before he asked.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Grimmjow said, wiping a tear from his eye, “it’s just that I haven’t heard someone say ‘rad’ in a really long time, and I definitely wasn’t expecting to hear it from you.” Ichigo rolled his eyes and moved away from the other. Grimmjow chuckled a bit again before he became serious. “Okay, so now we’re going to talk.”

“What about?” Ichigo asked, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

“Sex.” Ichigo’s eyes shot back open and he looked at Grimmjow in complete shock. The younger erupted with laughter again, and Ichigo groaned. “I got you good!” Ichigo couldn’t help but to join in after a little while. Grimmjow’s laugh was contagious. Once they calmed down, Grimmjow pinned Ichigo with his intense gaze. “Let’s just talk about you.”

Ichigo blushed slightly, clearing his throat and shifting on the couch.

“That’s a fairly broad subject. Could you narrow it down a bit?”

“Okay, how was your day?”

"Hmm. . .well, I had a meeting with one of my clients. It wasn't very productive, but that's all I'm allowed to say about it. Came home to my boyfriend making dinner, but it got burned so I went to grab some Thai. Got cold, walked here for a drink and boom! You're in here singing a song you have no business knowing, making me question my entire existence. That brings us to the now, in which you are sitting here looking at me like you've been waiting to see me for thirteen years. That's about it."

Ichigo watched as a slight blush formed on Grimmjow's cheeks and he looked away. He smiled a little, surprised at the action. The vocalist always seemed so sure of himself, and to see him acting so nervous was. . .cute. He had to admit, it felt nice to be asked about his day. He and Shuuhei didn't really talk about things like that. It was more conversations like, "did you write the check for the mortgage?" or "where's the check for the groceries?" or "why don't we ever spend any time together?" or "my parents are coming to visit."

He hated that last one the most.

He was drawn out of his thoughts when he realized Grimmjow was speaking.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Grimmjow cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I said, I'm sorry for being such a nuisance. It's just that I can't get you out of my mind."

Ichigo found himself unable to meet Grimmjow's eyes. He instead focused his gaze on an old acoustic guitar that was propped in the corner.

"You're not a nuisance. I just have a lot going on right now."

It was quiet for a while, to the point where the silence had begun to suffocate Ichigo. He still hadn't looked at Grimmjow, fearing that if he did, he wouldn't be able to turn away.

"Will you. . ." Ichigo waited for the rest of the other's inquiry but it never came. It was then that he turned to face Grimmjow and his fears were realized. As soon as their eyes connected, he felt as if he'd been caught in a magnetic field; he struggled to find his voice as he asked,

"W-what?"

Grimmjow stared at him for another minute or so, and Ichigo squirmed under the intensity of the gaze. He couldn't tell what the blue haired male was thinking, and that was probably what made him so nervous.

"Will you. . .can we. . .can we hang out?" Ichigo tilted his head as he stared at the flustered young vocalist. "Like, I don't mean a date or anything, but. . .I just want to see you."

Ichigo smiled before he nodded.

"I don't see any harm in that. If I get some free time, I'll let you know, okay?" He stood, and Grimmjow did the same. Before Ichigo could head for the door, the younger male stopped him.

"Call me."

"I will."

"No, I mean right now, so I can have your number," Grimmjow said, with a grin. Ichigo pulled out his phone and searched through his contacts for the other's name, before dialing. Grimmjow's phone rang in his pocket and he pulled it out, swiping the screen and putting it up to his ear.

"Who is this?" he asked, skeptically, and Ichigo laughed loudly.

"Alright, you have my number now, so can I leave, or is this a hostage situation?" Grimmjow chuckled as he typed on his phone.

"You're free to go, Mr. Kurosaki. I will be calling you very soon."

Ichigo shook his head and waved before he left the room and walked out of the shop. As he made his way down the sidewalk, his thoughts drifted to Grimmjow's performance. It was much different from what he'd seen of the young vocalist before. It was raw and bold, and sexy. He felt a shiver run through his body, but it wasn't from the cold. He needed to get laid, and fast. He picked up his pace as he neared his home, and he was jogging by the time he got to his yard. He unlocked his front door and slipped his jacket off, letting it fall down to the floor. He rounded the corner and entered the living room with every intention of having some of the nastiest sex he'd had with his boyfriend in a long time, but it wasn't meant to be.

Ichigo slumped as he looked at Shuuhei's sleeping figure on the couch. He wasn't sure how long he'd been gone, but apparently it was long enough for Shuuhei to fall asleep. Not wanting to wake the other, Ichigo grabbed a throw blanket from the linen closet, and covered Shuuhei with it. He placed a soft kiss to his forehead before he headed for the bathroom. Before he got there, his phone chimed, alerting him to a text message. He pulled it from his pocket, reading the message on the screen.

_Grimmjow Jacks: I can't wait to see you again_

Ichigo found himself smiling as he locked his phone and started undressing for his shower. Maybe he could find the time to see Grimmjow sometime soon. It wouldn't be wrong, would it? They were just two friends spending time together. Yeah, nothing wrong with that at all. He picked up his phone again, unlocking it and typing his response quickly.

_Can't wait to see you either_


	5. I don't know if you feel the same as I do. . .

##  Chapter Five: _I don’t know if you feel the same as I do. . ._

_By: Arctic Monkeys_

Ichigo sat in his office looking through a brief for a new case. He knew he was already overbooked, but he had trouble saying no. This one wasn't as much of a pain as the Jaegerjaquez case, so he was sure he could handle the little extra work. He was supposed to be having a meeting with Malcolm to discuss the changes in the case. Apparently Juliana had changed her mind, and not only did she want alimony, she wanted pretty much everything the man owned. Now instead of quiet mediation, this was going to be a huge court case, and an ugly one to boot. It was a shame, really. From the talks Ichigo had had with Malcolm, he loved Juliana more than life itself. Sometimes it only takes one mistake to ruin everything you have.

A knock on his office door pulled him from his thoughts. He closed his new case file before giving the person on the other side of the door permission to enter. Malcolm walked in, slowly, shutting the door behind himself. Ichigo watched as the man - a shell of himself - made his way to one of the leather chairs in front of his desk. The orange haired attorney steepled his fingers as he looked at the other man. This was one of the things he hated about his job. He had come to know when a divorce was one sided; while one person moved on, the other was left behind, still clinging to the hope that what they had could return. It was so sad to see a proud man like Malcolm reduced to this fragile shell.

"Sorry I'm late," the elder man said, as he loosened his tie. Ichigo took off his glasses and pushed a hand through his hair.

"It's no problem. How are you?" he asked, leaning back in his chair and eyeing the other. Malcolm exhaled and did the same, except he didn't meet Ichigo's eyes. He hesitated for a second before he found his resolve and spoke,

"I talked to my daughter today." Ichigo's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. He had prepared for Malcolm to say a lot of things that day, but what he'd just said was not one of them.

It'd been a month since that fateful meeting in which the true cause of the Jaegerjaquez divorce surfaced. From what Ichigo knew, Malcolm had been living in a house that his mother owned in Syracuse. Juliana had demanded he leave immediately, and not wanting to stir up even more trouble for himself, Malcolm complied. They'd only breached the subject of Malcolm's daughter a few times, and it was an unusual situation indeed.

At the start of their marriage, they'd been told by doctors that Juliana was barren. Her uterus was T-shaped and due to that, she'd never be able to carry a baby to full term and she'd die if she did. The situation of course put a strain on their relationship; they were young - Juliana was just twenty-one and Malcolm twenty-three - and they wanted nothing more than to have a child of their own. Eventually they separated for a short period of time. In that period, Malcolm met a young German woman named Penelope. He liked her; she was vibrant and full of life with her sea-green hair and tawny eyes. Their affair lasted for six months, but one day, Juliana called to tell him she was pregnant. He was torn, because he'd grown to care deeply for Penelope, but there was no one he loved more than Juliana. He left Penelope that day, and went back to his wife and two short months later, his son was born. Of course Juliana hadn't carried him to full term; he was premature but he turned out just fine. Everything was going well for a while. Then Malcolm received a phone call at his office one day just after his son's third birthday. It was Penelope.

At first he was happy, glad to hear from an old friend. Her news definitely put a damper on the mood. She told him she'd been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and that she only had two months to live. He instantly tried to comfort her, but she stopped him, saying there was something more important than that. She had a daughter, a daughter who was just about to turn three. She wanted him to take care of her, because he was her father. He couldn't believe it, but it was true. His only thought at the time was how he'd be able to take care of the little girl without Juliana finding out about his affair.

After Penelope passed just two weeks after their conversation, Malcolm had the girl sent to live with one of his aunts who had no children of her own. Juliana wasn't very fond of his aunt, so they never visited her. Malcolm sent money to her every month, and called twice a week to check on his daughter. He’d handled things this way for the next fifteen years. He’d never actually spoken to his daughter before, but Ichigo surmised that that was about to change. Malcolm didn’t have a reason to hide from her anymore.

“How did that go?” Ichigo asked. Malcolm ran a hand over his face, exhaling again.

“It was fine. She sounded so happy and full of life,  just like her mother. She even looks like her, a spitting image.”

“Well that’s great. Are you planning to visit with her?”

“I don’t know yet. She wants to, but. . .I don’t know if I’m ready to face her. I wasn’t there for her for her entire childhood.”

“It doesn’t seem like she’s upset with you. Maybe think about it, yes?” Ichigo asked. The older man nodded, and sat up straight in his chair. “What about your son? Have you told him anything yet?”

“No. He’ll be devastated, and I don’t want to distract him from his studies.”

Ichigo turned to his computer, pulling up a copy of Malcolm’s case file. “Where is he studying?”

“Juilliard. His mother wanted him to go to Stanford, like we did. He’s always been different. He’s extremely smart, but it never seemed that his heart was in science. He was happier than a kid in a candy store when we started his piano lessons when he was five. Now he plays eight instruments.” Ichigo was shocked, and turned to Malcolm then, giving him an impressed look to which the man nodded. “He’s also an amazing singer. I’ve heard him singing in his room and in the gardens at our home. That’s why when he told us he wanted to go to Juilliard I let him. I put up a front for Juli, but I wanted him to be happy, and I knew that he would be. That’s why I sent him money, even though I knew Juli didn’t want me to.”

“You’ve never told me his name,” Ichigo said, turning back to his computer and typing in some information.

“His name is Grimmjow.”

Ichigo’s fingers stopped mid-stroke and he choked on a breath, coughing up his lungs. Malcolm looked at him inquisitively, and Ichigo waved him off.

“Sorry, I just took in some air wrong. What a unique name,” he complimented.

“Thank you. He’s named after my father, Grimmión Jaegerjaquez.” Ichigo nodded, wiping a tear that had formed from his coughing fit.

“That’s nice. So, about this court date. . .”

He changed the subject quickly, putting himself on autopilot as his mind began to race with thoughts of the blue-haired singer he’d grown so fond of. Now that he knew that he was Malcolm’s son, Grimmjow was the spitting image of his father, except for the dark eyes and hair that the elder Jaegerjaquez possessed. God, just how stupid was he?  Even when he thought of Juliana’s features, he recognized her bright blue eyes as the same ones that Grimmjow had. Seriously, why hadn’t he figured it out?

Over the past four weeks, he’d kept his promise to hang out with the younger man. They hadn’t done anything too out of the ordinary; it was mostly Ichigo meeting up with the other after he got off work and sitting in a nearby park, talking about nothing and everything until Ichigo decided he needed to go home. Occasionally, Grimmjow would bring his guitar or his iPad and he’d sing to Ichigo, gaining an audience in the process every time he did so. In fact, he was supposed to be meeting the young vocalist later that day. How was he supposed to act around him now, knowing what he knew? Grimmjow had talked about his parents before, though he’d never said their names. He loved them both dearly, and Malcolm was right; it would devastate him to find out that they were getting a divorce. Not to mention the fact that he had a younger sister that he’d neither met nor heard about. Plus, due to confidentiality rules, Ichigo really wasn’t supposed to talk about it in the first place. But somehow he felt he was betraying the younger by keeping it from him. He cursed internally as he saved the changes he’d made to his document.

_What the hell am I supposed to do?_

* * *

Grimmjow laughed as Takashi belted out the chorus to ABBA's _Take a Chance On Me_. He wasn't a bad singer, but the theatrics he added naturally made him look hilarious while he sang. The school would be putting on a rendition of _Mamma Mia! The Musical_ in the spring, and of course Takashi wanted to tryout. He'd asked Grimmjow to give him some extra singing lessons, though the blue-haired male wasn't sure how much help he'd be; he'd never taken singing lessons. His talent was au naturale when it came to his voice.

"Alright, how'd I do?" Takashi asked. Grimmjow placed a finger to his chin.

"Not bad, not bad. Just maybe work on the higher notes in the chorus. You get a little shaky when you sing them." Takashi sighed and flopped down on the stage next to Grimmjow.

"Why'd they have to pick ABBA? Like have any of them tried singing ABBA songs?" Grimmjow laughed at his friend's theatrics.

"It's not that hard; just don't think about it so much."

"Easy for you to say, Mr. I Got A Full Ride Scholarship Because My Voice Is So Amazing That The Judges Cried During My Audition."

"You're being dramatic again, Takashi," Grimmjow said, packing up his things.

"It's what I do best. Acting."

"Well, I gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow though."

Grimmjow packed up his things and waved to his friend before leaving the auditorium. He pulled his phone from his pocket, elated when he saw a message from his favorite orange haired attorney on the screen.

_Running late, but I'll be there._

Grimmjow didn't respond, just slid his phone back into his pocket and kept walking out of the front door of the school. He hummed a tune as he strolled down the street, thinking about all the time he'd spent with Ichigo. He'd learned so much about the other. Like the fact that he was Japanese and moved to America when he was ten; his mother and father still lived in California, while his younger twin sisters had moved to North Carolina to study at a women's college. He knew that every year for Christmas and New Years, he and his sisters went back to California to spend the holidays with their parents. He also learned that Ichigo started college when he was just sixteen, and he graduated from Harvard Law School at twenty-three. He was a certified genius.

He knew the story of how Ichigo came out to his parents, and how his dad didn't accept it at first, but came to understand. He knew about Ichigo's first boyfriend, who just so happened to be Grimmjow's current boss, Sosuke Aizen. Grimmjow had laughed hysterically at that, since Aizen was so much older than Ichigo. That's when he'd found out how old Ichigo was. Prior to the revelation, Grimmjow had thought the man couldn't be older than twenty-two, but he'd been wrong. Ichigo was thirty and would be thirty-one the following July. The age difference didn't bother Grimmjow at all, though he was certain Ichigo saw him as just some silly kid. That really irked him, but nothing irked him more than the fact that Ichigo was still with his boyfriend.

The subject of Ichigo's relationship with his boyfriend had only come up a few times during all their talks. It seemed to Grimmjow that Ichigo purposely avoided the topic to spare his feelings. He didn't know whether to be thankful or annoyed. Whenever they did talk about Ichigo's boyfriend, it only served to make Grimmjow wonder why they were still together. Ichigo would say things like, "we used to" and "at first", leading Grimmjow to believe that the orange haired male was completely bored with the relationship. He couldn't for the life of him understand why Ichigo was still with the guy. He surmised that the older man had just become comfortable in his situation and was afraid of change. He hoped to be the change that Ichigo needed.

Once he arrived in the park, he sat down on the bench that he and Ichigo usually shared, pulling his acoustic guitar out of its case. He tuned it a little before he began to play; a few seconds passed before he started to sing quietly,

_"Have you got color in your cheeks? Do you ever get the feeling that you can shift the tide that sticks around like something in your teeth? Are there some aces up your sleeves? Have you no idea that you're in deep? I dreamt about you nearly every night this week; how many secrets can you keep? 'Cause there's this tune I found that makes me think of you somehow, and I play it on repeat until I fall asleep spilling drinks on my settee. . ."_

A little girl and two of her friends heard him singing and sat down cross legged in front of him and he smiled gently at them before he continued,

_"Do I wanna know? If this feeling flows both ways; sad to see you go; was sorta hoping that you'd stay; darling we both know, that the nights were mainly made for saying things that you can't say tomorrow day; crawling back to you. . .ever thought of calling when you've had a few? 'cause I always do. Maybe I'm too. . .busy being yours to fall for somebody new; now I've fallen through; crawling back to you. . ."_

He felt a presence next to him and he turned his head, catching Ichigo's tired brown eyes with his own. Even after a long day of work, the man was stunning. His gorgeous orange hair was tousled and unkempt; the setting sun bounced off of his flawless skin as he blessed Grimmjow with one of his gleaming smiles. Grimmjow felt his heartbeat double as he looked at the man he'd fallen helplessly in love with. There was nothing he wanted more in that moment than to kiss Ichigo. His thoughts were interrupted by a small voice.

"Why did you stop singing, Mister?" the little pink-haired girl that was the leader of his small audience asked. Ichigo chuckled and nodded his agreement with the young patron.

"Yes, please don't stop on my account," the orange haired male said, and Grimmjow smiled also, picking up where he'd left off.

_"So have you got the guts? Been wondering if your heart's still open and if so I wanna know what time it shuts; simmer down and pucker up; I'm sorry to interrupt, it's just I'm constantly on the cusp of trying to kiss you; I don't know if you feel the same as I do; but we could be together. . .if you wanted to?"_

He found it impossible to take his eyes off of Ichigo as he sang those lyrics, and it seemed that the other was having the same problem. It was wrong. It was so wrong, but he couldn't resist. He'd been longing to feel the other man's soft lips against his own since the first time they'd kissed and he couldn't take it anymore. He leaned in, quickly capturing Ichigo's lips in a fierce kiss. The orangette stiffened and didn't respond at first, but after some prodding from Grimmjow, he responded with fervor. Grimmjow heard the little girls shriek and yell something about cooties, but he didn't care; he brought his hand up and stroked Ichigo's smooth cheek, reveling in the moment. It was shattered when Ichigo pulled away abruptly, standing up from the bench and frowning fiercely.

"What the hell, Grimm?" he asked, sounding positively miffed. Grimmjow felt his face heat up with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," he said, quietly before he thought about what he was actually saying. He found his resolve before he stood as well, looking the older male straight in the eye as he spoke. "You know what, I'm not sorry. That was completely on purpose and I meant every second of it."

"Why would you do that when you know -"

"When I know what? That you're in a relationship with someone you are completely tired of?" Ichigo's scowl deepened and he turned to leave, but Grimmjow grabbed his wrist before he could. "I'm not going to let you run away from this."

"From what, Grimmjow? What do you want from me?" Ichigo asked, wrestling his wrist out of the younger's grasp. "You want me to leave my boyfriend for you?"

"That's not what I -"

"No, no! You want me to leave a nice, steady relationship with a man my own age for some hot shot singer with crazy blue hair who's eleven years younger than me and could get tired of my old ass at any given moment? Do you think I'm an idiot, Grimmjow?"

Grimmjow was shocked at Ichigo's exclamation, but it did bring the gravity of the situation to light. He now understood exactly why Ichigo stayed with his boyfriend. It wasn't because he loved him; it was because he was afraid. He was afraid that Grimmjow would get bored with him and leave. He knew for a fact that that wasn't true; he wanted to be with Ichigo more than he wanted anything in the world. Even more than he wanted to sing. He would never let Ichigo go if he got the chance to have him for himself. He just wished he could make the other see that.

"Ichi, I -"

"You know what? Save it. I'm gonna go, alright?"

"But -"

"Goodbye, Grimmjow."

Ichigo shoved his hands into his pockets as he walked away. Grimmjow swore under his breath, fighting with himself about whether or not he would follow. In the end he chose not to. Ichigo was far too upset with him to have a rational conversation. He sighed as he packed up his guitar, heading in the opposite direction. He couldn't help but to be angry with himself. He'd spent so much time getting to know the other man, slowly falling for him more and more, even though he should have known he didn't have a real chance from the start. He just wanted to be close to Ichigo; being his friend was better than not being able to see him at all. Now he'd gone and ruined that. He gripped the handle of his guitar case tightly as he walked slowly up the street that led to his apartment building. It had been a long time since he'd cried, but he felt that was about to change.

He was getting ready to turn to go to his building when he saw Nel standing on the corner. She was looking down at her phone, so she didn't notice him. He stopped walking and watched as a very familiar black Range Rover pulled up at the curb. He was shocked when his father stepped out of the car. Nel looked up from her phone then, meeting Malcolm's eyes and smiling brightly before she ran and leapt into his arms.

_What the hell?_ Grimmjow thought. He dipped into a nearby alleyway so they wouldn't see him, opting to go through the back entrance of his building. He was one hundred percent confused about what he'd just seen. As he climbed the stairs to his apartment, a nasty, sinking feeling took over his stomach and he nearly vomited. There could only be one answer, and he didn't want it to be true. As he laid face down on his bed, he made a decision. He would be calling his mother the next day.

~~~

Grimmjow frowned a bit as he looked up at his family's home. It seemed different; he couldn't explain why though. He made his way up the sidewalk, jogging up the stairs to the porch. He hesitated a bit before he knocked on the door. After talking to his mother over the phone a few days prior, he'd made the decision to take the lengthy train ride out to see her. She'd said it'd be for the best if he did, and plus he really wanted to see her. He didn't have to wait very long for the door to open, and he almost gasped when he saw her. Something was definitely wrong.

His mother had always been a very beautiful woman. With her golden hair that hung down to her lower back, her crystalline blue eyes that he'd inherited, and her flawless pale skin, she'd always been a standout. But now, as he looked at her, he didn't think he was looking at the same woman. Her hair looked knotted and it was tossed into a disheveled bun on top of her head; her eyes were dull, and she looked like she'd been crying. Her nose was red, and she sniffled a bit before she reached her arms out to him. Grimmjow didn't hesitate to pull her to his chest, hugging her tightly.

"My baby. I'm so sorry," she said, her voice soft and hoarse. He felt her body shake slightly before he felt wetness on his shirt. He tried to pull away, but she held on tighter, her quiet cries turning to choked sobs.

"Mama," Grimmjow said, stroking her hair, gently, "tell me what's wrong." He finally managed to pull away enough to wipe her tears with the pad of his thumb. He'd always hated seeing his mother cry. They may not have gotten along all the time, but he loved his mother dearly, and seeing her upset made him angry. "Where's Dad?"

"He's gone. I asked him to leave," Juliana answered, and they walked into the house, sitting down in the living room.

"Why?" Grimmjow asked, though he had a feeling he already knew the answer. Juliana wiped at her eyes, staring at the unlit fireplace.

"He cheated on me. It was a long time ago, but he did it. He lied to me for fifteen years."

Grimmjow felt his blood pressure rise as he took in his mother's confession.

"So you're getting a divorce?" he asked, and Juliana nodded, still not looking him in the eye.

"I don't think I can forgive him. It would've been different if he'd told me, maybe I would've understood. But he lied and went behind my back for such a long time. I just feel so betrayed."

Grimmjow crossed the room, sitting down beside Juliana as she started to cry again. He held her close, wiping her tears and comforting her. He stayed for another two hours, making sure she'd eaten and had a proper shower before he left, promising to return the following Sunday.


	6. The only heaven I'll be sent to, is when I'm alone with you. . .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For reference: 
> 
> Grimmjow sings in italics, anyone he sings with sings in bold; when they are singing together, it's bolded and italicized. Also, the version of the song he and Takashi (Hollow Ichigo/Shiro) will be singing is Max Schneider and Nick Dungo's cover, so check that out to get the feel.
> 
> Enjoy ^_^

****

##  Chapter Six: _The only heaven I’ll be sent to is when I’m alone with you. . ._

_By: Hozier_

As Grimmjow boarded the train back to the city, the weight of his family's situation set in, and he felt himself on the verge of tears. He knew it'd be in his best interest to hold them at bay until he reached his home, but he wasn't sure if he'd be able to. Everything he held dear was coming down around him. His parents were getting a divorce, and he hadn't heard from Ichigo in a week.

He'd reached out to the other more than once, but it seemed that Ichigo was still upset. Grimmjow understood that perfectly, but he didn't want to accept it. He wanted Ichigo to give him another chance, but it looked like that wasn't going to happen. He sighed, fiddling with his phone and biting at his lower lip. He pulled his earbuds out of his pocket, putting them in and choosing one of the songs he was supposed to perform at Spirit that night. He thought if he focused on that then he'd forget about all the problems in his life. Music always made him feel better.

Before he knew it, the train was at his stop and he got off, making his way through the crowded station, and up to the street. The walk to his apartment was short, and once he was home, he had a shower and changed into his Spirit uniform. He got his phone out, sending a text to Takashi. The other male was supposed to be performing a song with Grimmjow at Spirit that night, to help with his stage fright.

_Nel wants to know if she can come_.

Grimmjow frowned at his phone's screen as he made his way out his door. He hadn't spoken to Nel since he'd seen her with his father. He knew it was wrong of him to assume that his father was seeing Nel, but what else was he supposed to think? He decided he wouldn't hold it against her, and responded in the affirmative to Takashi's message. He walked to his work, greeting his coworkers before heading into Sosuke's office in the back of the shop. He knocked on the door twice before the brunet gave him permission to enter.

"Hello there, Grimmjow," the man said, and the blue-haired vocalist sat down in one of the chairs in front of Sosuke's desk, letting out a deep sigh. "What's wrong?"

"I'm going through a lotta shit right now, Mr. Sosuke. I feel like the whole world is coming down around me," he confessed. Sosuke sipped from a teacup before he gave Grimmjow a meaningful look.

"Do you need to take the night off? If so, I can get one of your co workers to fill in for you. It'd be no trouble at all."

"No, no. I promised my friend we could use this for practice. Plus, I think singing is the only thing that can make me happy right now."

"Well, just do your best. I'm sure whatever you're going through will work out fine in the end."

Grimmjow nodded before he stood and left the office. He spotted Takashi and Nel when he came back out into the dining area. The usual crowd that came on his performance night had already began to fill in the seats. He made his way over to his friends, greeting them both with a tight smile.

"'Sup, guys?" he said, and Nel frowned, placing her hands on her hips.

"You haven't talked to me for days without explanation and all I get is a casual 'sup'? Could you be any more rude?" she scolded. Grimmjow rolled his eyes before throwing a half-assed apology her way. Nel couldn't hold a grudge for too long, so she accepted his apology, crushing him in an embrace. "I missed my Grimmy-kins!"

"You're gonna be missing something else if you call me that again," he said, grumpily.

"Do you think we could practice some before we do this?" Takashi asked. Grimmjow could tell he was nervous, especially with the rather large crowd in the café, so he nodded and led him to the storage room. They practiced their harmonies for a while, before Riruka came in, telling Grimmjow that it was time to get started.

"Alright, we got this," he said, putting his fist out. Takashi bumped it with his own before they headed out into the dining area. Grimmjow took to the stage while Takashi joined Nel at their table. His first two songs went by smoothly, and on his third, he gestured for his friend to join him. Takashi rubbed his hands on his jeans, a nervous tick of his. He pulled up a stool next to Grimmjow, situating the mic in front of his mouth. "Okay, guys, this is my friend, Takashi. He's performing for the first time, so let's give him a warm welcome, yes?"

A cordial round of applause resounded around the room as Grimmjow started to play the tune of the song. He took the first verse, giving Takashi time to get his nerves together,

_"My lover's got humour; she's the giggle at a funeral; knows everybody's disapproval, I should've worshipped her sooner; if the heavens ever did speak, she's the last true mouthpiece; every Sunday's getting more bleak, fresh poison each week. . .we were born sick, I heard them say it. . ."_

Grimmjow's eyes roamed around the room as he sang, and he swore he saw a bright flash of orange; but just as quickly as he saw it, it was gone. He must've been hallucinating.

**"My church offers no absolutes; she tells me worship in the bedroom; the only heaven I'll be sent to, is when I'm alone with you; I was born sick, but I love it. . .command me to be well. . ."**

_**"Aay. . .amen. . .amen. . .amen. Take me to church; I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies; I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife; offer me that deathless death, good God, let me give you my life. . ."** _

They finished the song smoothly and from the sound of the applause, they'd done a great job. Grimmjow patted Takashi on the back and the other male smiled brightly, thanking Grimmjow. The blue-haired male decided he'd take a little break, so he followed Takashi off the stage. As he was heading to the storage room, he spotted that bright orange again, but he was sure he wasn't hallucinating this time. Ichigo's gorgeous brown eyes caught his, and he turned to leave. Grimmjow caught up to him, gripping his wrist.

"Ichigo, please don't go," he pleaded.

"Let me go, Grimmjow," Ichigo responded, softly. Grimmjow dropped his arm as if he'd been burned. Ichigo turned to face him, then, a sad smile on his lips. "I'm sorry for leading you on. I shouldn't have come here, I know, but. . .I wanted to see you."

Grimmjow frowned; Ichigo's statement only added to his confusion about their situation. He couldn't stay angry when he looked into those big brown eyes, though. He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Ichi, I'm sorry for acting like a shitty brat. Can we start over?" he asked. Ichigo nodded his head and chuckled slightly.

"Of course." He held his hand out, and Grimmjow took it in his own. "Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Kurosaki." Ichigo laughed softly. Grimmjow noticed that he'd yet to let go of his hand, but he wasn't sure if the older male noticed also.

"I'm sorry, I have to go. I'll see you around, Grimm." Ichigo finally let go of Grimmjow's hand, smiling gently at him before he turned to leave. Grimmjow was frozen where he stood until Nel appeared next to him, scaring the hell out of him. He clutched his heart as she laughed.

"Sorry, Jacks. I just have to know who _that_ was?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. Grimmjow rolled his eyes.

"I thought you were asexual?" he chided, heading to the storage room. Nel frowned as she followed him.

" _Panromantic_ asexual. And just because I find someone aesthetically attractive doesn't mean I want to bang them. Geez. Anyway, who is he? Is he the one you sang Drake to?" Grimmjow nodded and Nel let out an unholy squeal. "He's so hot! Shit, I'd sing Drake to him too!"

"Lower your nonsense, Nelliel."

" **I'd better find your lovin', I'd better find your heart. . .** "

"Bruh."

Grimmjow couldn't help but to smile as Nel made a complete fool of herself. His thoughts drifted to Ichigo, and his grin widened. He was happy he'd gotten to see the other, and even happier that he wanted to stay friends. At least one thing was getting better. Now, if he could just do something about his parents.

* * *

Ichigo stepped into his home, pulling off his jacket and hanging it up before he slipped off his shoes. He could hear commotion coming from the living room, and he raised an eyebrow as he headed in that direction. He didn't recall Shuuhei saying anything about company. As he rounded the corner, he suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. Shuuhei sat in the living room laughing and carrying on with his parents, Masamune and Sara. Ichigo was so not in the mood for this. Something told him to stay out, but he didn't listen and now he regretted it.

Ichigo didn't hate Shuuhei's parents, but he didn't like them a lot either. His father was a retired military officer and his mother a recovering alcoholic. From what Ichigo knew, Shuuhei had a terrible childhood, which probably attributed to him winding up being in an abusive relationship for nearly ten years. He didn't know how the other could deal with them; his father was a stone wall who barely even spoke, and his mother was loud and obnoxious. Honestly, Ichigo tried to avoid them at all costs. He had no qualms about it.

"Oh, Ichigo, how nice of you to join us," Sara said, and Ichigo resisted the urge to recoil at the way her voice grated on his eardrums. He gave a tight smile before he headed into his home office gathering his briefcase and a few case files. He wasn't staying here. There was no way.

When he reemerged a few minutes later, he stopped short of entering the living room. He heard Sara talking like she was trying to whisper.

"When are you going to leave him?"

"Mother, I thought you promised you wouldn't bring that up."

"Oh, but he's such a _bore_. Now that other one you were with, he was fun. What happened?"

"Oh you mean the man who beat me mercilessly for five years? Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Oh lighten up, Shuu. I was just joking," Sara said, laughing boisterously. Ichigo frowned fiercely. He hated to leave Shuuhei alone with them, but if he stayed, someone was going to get their feelings hurt.

"This is why he never wants to be around you," Shuuhei lamented. Oh so he did know? "He's never said it, but I know he doesn't like you."

"All the more reason for you to leave him!"

Ichigo decided to make his presence known then, stepping around the corner, his frown still set firmly in place.

"I have to meet with Rukia to discuss a case. I'll be back later," he said. He thought about adding a snide comment about having the trash cleared out by the time he returned, but he was never one to be outright rude to someone's parents, especially if they were his significant other's parents. As he was putting on his shoes and jacket, Shuuhei approached him, and he fought the urge to roll his eyes yet again.

"How much of that did you hear?" he asked. Ichigo turned around giving his boyfriend a passive stare.

"Only all of it. I'm sorry for being such a bore. Guess your mom thinks getting your ass beaten was much more fun for you than working part-time in a pastry shop because I don't require you to do more than that." As soon as he finished his statement, he regretted it. Shuuhei rolled his eyes, but Ichigo could tell his feelings were hurt. Was upsetting each other all they could do for one another now? It sure as hell seemed so. He sighed, grasping the other's hand in his own and kissing it gently. "Look, Shuu, I'm sorry. You know I didn't mean that; your mother makes me nuts."

"I know. When will you be back?" the dark-haired male asked. Ichigo shrugged. He wasn't even sure where he was going yet.

"Rukia lives pretty far, so it might be a while. I'll text you when I get there, alright?" Shuuhei nodded, though Ichigo could obviously tell that the other didn't approve. He placed a light kiss to his lips before he left the house.

Once he was a few blocks away, he pulled his phone out, fiddling with it as he walked. Maybe he could really go to Rukia's house? She knew how much he hated Shuuhei's parents. He didn't want to intrude on her and Ashido though, so that was out. He could visit his best friend. They hadn't spent much time together because of Ichigo's job. He decided to call first before he took the train ride over to Queens in vain. He dialed Shinji's number, holding the phone away from his ear when his friend answered with a loud, boisterous screech of his name.

"Hey, Shin, how's it going?" he asked, and Shinji laughed excitedly.

"It's going amazing! Do you know where I am right now?"

"No?"

"Barcelona! Can you freaking believe it, Ich? Like I never thought I'd get out of my mother's house in Flushing and now here I am, leaving one amazing club to go to another in freaking Spain!"

"Shin who are you with?"

"My new man, of course! His name is Nnoitra. Isn't that so. . . _ethnic_?" Ichigo face palmed and subsequently rolled his eyes.

"Please don't say things like that. How long have you been seeing this guy?"

"Three months. You've been an absentee best friend, Ich. Think I might have to fire you~!"

Though he knew Shinji was joking, Ichigo still felt really bad. Since when had his work become the only thing that mattered to him? His love life was suffering, along with his friendships, and he'd even missed his trip to see his parents this year because he was too swamped with work. He loved being an attorney, he really did, but maybe. . .

"I was kidding, Ich! Don't get all silent on me," Shinji chirped, and Ichigo smiled.

"Shin, I gotta go, but call me as soon as you get back in the states. I'll pick you up from the airport and we'll have drinks, alright?"

"You know it! I must give you all the _gritty_ details of my trip." Ichigo laughed before he said his goodbyes and hung up the phone.

_Now, where was he going to go?_

A loud commotion a few feet ahead of him caught his attention, and then he realized where he was. Grimmjow and his friends, along with a few of Spirit’s other employees were piling out of the front door of the shop. Somehow he’d wandered back there without noticing, and now he looked like a total creep. He wondered if he could dip into an alley before any of them noticed him, but luck was not on his side, as Grimmjow’s green-haired friend called out,

“Hey, Jacks, there’s your boyfriend. Aww, he waited for you~!”

Ichigo immediately turned in the opposite direction, determined to head right back to his house because he could put up with Shuuhei’s parents much easier than he could the embarrassment he was feeling.

"Ichigo, wait!" Grimmjow called, and Ichigo's feet stopped moving instantly. _Damn this kid for having this effect on him_. He turned slowly to see Grimmjow jogging to catch up to him. He stopped in front of Ichigo, smiling brightly. "Did you really wait for me?"

"No," Ichigo responded, crassly, rolling his eyes. "Are you out of your mind?"

"No. I'm pretty happy to see you, though," the blue-haired vocalist said, with a laugh. Ichigo couldn’t stay mad at the sight of his favorite smile. “What are you doing out here?”

“I uh. . .Shuuhei’s parents are at my house.” Grimmjow gave him a sympathetic look. They’d discussed Ichigo’s feelings on Shuuhei’s parents on a few occasions, and so Grimmjow understood why he left.

“Well, did you want to come to mine?”


	7. Can't keep this beating heart at bay. . .

##  Chapter Seven: _Can’t keep this beating heart at bay. . ._

_By: Sam Smith_

Ichigo pondered Grimmjow's inquiry. He didn't seem to have any ulterior motives, not that Ichigo suspected he would anyways. He did need somewhere to go, and he wasn't too keen on going to a club or anything. After a minute he nodded, and was blessed with his favorite smile in the world as Grimmjow started walking and gestured for him to follow. The walk was mostly silent, but it was comfortable. It wasn't long before they were in front of a nice apartment building and Grimmjow was punching in a code to open the door. He led Ichigo through the lobby and onto the elevator. They stopped on the sixth floor and got off, making their way to a door marked 615. Grimmjow pulled his keys from his pocket and unlocked the door, flipping on the lights.

Ichigo took in his surroundings as he pulled off his coat. It was a rather nice loft, not too big or small. It was decorated moderately, and it was neat and tidy. That surprised Ichigo; Grimmjow didn't seem like the meticulous type. He went over to the living room, sitting down on the couch.

"Want anything to drink?" Grimmjow asked, heading for the kitchen.

"Some water would be nice." A few seconds later, Grimmjow joined him on the couch, handing him a bottle of water before popping the top on a can of beer. Ichigo raised an eyebrow as he put on his reading glasses. "And you're how old again?"

"Nineteen, why?" he asked, before realization kicked in and he chuckled. "Right. You gonna turn me in, Mr. Attorney?" Ichigo laughed at that.

"I'm a divorce attorney, Grimm. If I was a prosecutor, then I'd turn you in. If I was a defense attorney, then it'd be my job to get you off." Grimmjow let out an immature laugh and Ichigo sighed. "I walked right into that one, didn't I?"

"You really did," the younger responded laughing even harder. Ichigo fought it for as long as he could, but the other's laughter was far too infectious and he ended up joining in. Once they sobered Ichigo returned his attention to his case files and Grimmjow turned on the television, drinking his beer in silence.

They went on like this for a while before Ichigo got that nagging sensation of being watched. He turned to see Grimmjow's pretty blue eyes focused on him intently. That same longing look that was always there showed itself and Ichigo shifted nervously in his seat. He looked away from Grimmjow, blushing slightly, embarrassed by the attention.

"What is it?" he asked, quietly. When he didn't get an answer, he looked back at the other to see him still staring. He snapped his fingers in front of Grimmjow's face, and the blue-haired male shook his head, blinking rapidly.

"I'm sorry, what?" Ichigo smiled slightly, turning back to his work.

"You were staring like you had something you wanted to say."

"I did." Ichigo waited for him to continue, and looked at him once more when he didn't. Grimmjow smiled then, reaching out tentatively and touching Ichigo's cheek. "You're so beautiful."

Ichigo's face went beet red, and he pulled away slightly, causing Grimmjow to deflate visibly as he retracted his hand. He hated to upset the younger male, but he couldn't seem to understand that Ichigo was in a committed relationship. The oranget cleared his throat before he looked at Grimmjow again.

"Shuuhei's parents should be gone by now, so I think I should go. Thanks for letting me stay here," he said, standing and packing his items. Grimmjow grabbed his arm frantically.

"No, please don't go. I'm sorry," he said, quickly, his eyes pleading. Ichigo found it hard to resist that look. He sat back down slowly, and Grimmjow let out a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry, it's just. . .I still really like you, and I haven't learned to control it yet." Ichigo took off his glasses, rubbing at his eyes.

"It's alright. Just. . ." He trailed off, trying to find the correct words. "Could you maybe not say things like that? It'd make this a lot easier for me." Grimmjow nodded instantly, though Ichigo was still skeptical.

“Let’s do something fun,” Grimmjow said, trying to lighten the mood. He knew talking about his feelings upset Ichigo, so he thought it’d be best to change the subject.

“Like what?” the older man asked. Grimmjow thought for a second, before a light bulb popped on over his head.

“Twenty questions?” Ichigo gave him an incredulous look before shaking his head.

“That doesn’t sound like fun at all.”

“Oh, c’mon,” Grimmjow goaded, “it’ll be tons of fun; I’ll even let you ask the first question.” Ichigo let out a sigh, before he pushed aside his work items. He toed off his shoes before turning on the couch so he was facing Grimmjow.

“Alright. What’s. . .your favorite color?” Grimmjow chuckled.

“Really going for the deeper questions I see.” Ichigo laughed at that. “Alright, it’s orange. Favorite food?”

“Pizza. Your favorite color is really orange?” Ichigo asked. Grimmjow nodded, giving him another one of those intense stares. Maybe he didn’t notice how he stared at Ichigo, so the older male decided to let it slide. “That didn’t count as one of my questions.”

“It so did. What’s your. . .favorite band?”

“Damn, that’s a hard one,” Ichigo said. He would have to think really hard about this one. “Hmmm. . .if I’m gonna have to pick just _one_ , I’ll go with Pierce The Veil.”

Both of Grimmjow’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline at that answer. He’d expected many answers, but that definitely wasn’t one of them. Ichigo constantly surprised him.

“Really?”

“Yeah; why do you ask?”

“It just doesn’t seem like your type of music,” Grimmjow replied with a shrug.

“And what does?” Ichigo asked, with an amused grin. The blue-haired male scratched his chin as he thought.

“I don’t know, like. . .Arctic Monkeys? Maybe The Neighbourhood? WALK THE MOON?” Ichigo chuckled at Grimmjow trying to psychoanalyze his taste in music.

“Well, you’re right. I like all of those, and I like Pierce The Veil too. I even like electronic music, especially Daft Punk.” Grimmjow’s whole face lit up and honestly, Ichigo found it to be so cute.

“I love Daft Punk! What’s your favorite song by them? Mine is _Instant Crush_.”

"I could listen to the entire _Discovery_ album for the rest of my life and I don't think I'd get bored. It's really cool how much you enjoy music." Ichigo smiled as he saw a faint blush form on the vocalist's cheeks.

"Well, I mean I have to. I play like eight instruments," he said with a chuckle. Ichigo just raised an eyebrow, not wanting to give away the fact that he already knew that. Grimmjow nodded before he ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, there's piano, organ, guitar - bass, lead, rhythm, and acoustic - cello, violin, harp, drums, and trumpet. I guess it's nine if you count my voice as an instrument."

It went on like that for quite a while. Ichigo loved how passionate Grimmjow was about music. He wished he had something that he was so fired up about, but when he thought about it, he really didn’t. Maybe if Grimmjow was talking to him two years ago, he’d be just as passionate about practicing law. But now, everything was just one big blah. He honestly hated it.

They were deep in conversation about whether or not Panic! At the Disco’s _A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out_ was basically the same album as Fall Out Boy’s _From Under the Cork Tree_ , when Ichigo’s phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it out, swearing under his breath. He held up a finger before getting up off the couch and crossing the room. He wasn’t quite out of earshot though, and Grimmjow couldn’t help but to listen in on the conversation.

“Hey, babe. . .yeah, we just got a little engrossed, I’m sorry. . .well, honestly what did you expect? No, I don’t. . .” a sigh “I don’t want to talk about this right now. . .could you just. . .” another sigh “I’ll be home soon. I’m gonna sleep in the spare room, okay?”

One terse goodbye later, Ichigo was appearing back in the living room, and Grimmjow was pretending he hadn’t heard anything.

“I’m sorry, Grimm, but it’s pretty late. I’ve gotta get going,” he said as he gathered his things. Grimmjow nodded, slowly, pursing his lips. He tried to hold back his thoughts, but seeing Ichigo so upset caused his brain-to-mouth filter to malfunction and he blurted,

“You deserve so much better.”

Ichigo gave him a pained look, turning and walking swiftly for the door. Grimmjow hurried behind him, gripping his wrist. Why did Ichigo always try to run away? Why couldn’t he just give him a chance?

“Why don’t you like me?” he asked his last thought out loud. Ichigo didn’t move, but he didn’t look at Grimmjow either.

“I. . .I do, like you, Grimmjow. I like you way too much, and that freaks me out, alright? So could you please just let me go?” Grimmjow reluctantly let Ichigo’s wrist fall from his grasp, watching as he opened the door and left without another word.

* * *

Ichigo frowned as his phone vibrated against his desk, yet again. He felt bad about ignoring Grimmjow’s efforts to reach out to him, but he felt like this was the best way. He needed to distance himself from the other or else his little crush would turn into something neither of them needed to deal with. He hadn’t spoken to the other in two weeks, and as much as it killed him, he knew it was the right thing to do.

He’d been trying his best with Shuuhei. He’d cleared time in his schedule to spend with the raven-haired male, setting up romantic dates and things of that nature. It worked, somewhat. They weren’t sleeping in separate bedrooms anymore, so that was progress he supposed.

His phone vibrated once more and he decided to check the message. It was, of course, from Grimmjow.

_I’m sorry. Please come to Spirit tonight?_

He sighed, and responded to the message saying that he would. He had every intention of telling the other male not to contact him ever again. He knew it would be painful - for both of them - but Grimmjow would be fine after a few days, and he’d find some nice, good-looking, young person to be with, and Ichigo would go back to his nice, safe, mediocre relationship with Shuuhei. It was for the best.

He shut down his laptop, gathering his things and heading out of his office. He bid farewell to his assistant and a few of his co-workers, leaving the building and strolling down the street. His walk home went by rather quickly, probably because he was so lost in his thoughts. He unlocked his door, going inside his home. He could already feel that something wasn’t right. His fears were realized as he rounded the corner, locking eyes with a rather vexed looking Shuuhei who was sitting on the couch with his arms folded.

“Who is Grimmjow?” Ichigo’s eyes widened slightly before he relaxed, trying to play it off.

“Umm, what?”

“Who. Is. Grimmjow?” Shuuhei asked again, through gritted teeth. “Don’t lie to me. I saw the messages.”

“You went through my phone?” Ichigo asked, angrily. There were a lot of things he tolerated, but violating his privacy was definitely _not_ one of them.

“The damn thing wouldn’t stop going off last night. How could you sleep through all that buzzing?” Shuuhei stood up from the couch then, making his way over to Ichigo. “Now I will ask you one more time; who the fuck is Grimmjow?”

“I don’t have to put up with this shit,” Ichigo said, dismissively. He stepped around Shuuhei, heading for the bedroom. The raven-haired male followed him.

“You know, you could just tell me who he is instead of acting like such a prick.” Ichigo whipped around then, facing his boyfriend once more, a fierce scowl etched into his features.

“And what the fuck do you think you’re acting like? Maybe I’d be more inclined to tell you who he is if you weren’t acting like an accusatory bitch! What kind of bullshit are you pulling, going through my phone and then questioning me as if I’ve done something wrong? What the hell is wrong with you?!” By this time Ichigo was shouting. He’d never raised his voice at Shuuhei before, and he immediately regretted it when he saw the terrified expression on his lover’s face. He could already tell that Shuuhei thought he might hit him, and that made him feel like shit. He would never do anything like that. He was just so frustrated. Nothing seemed right about this relationship anymore, and that really hurt him. He wanted things to work out between them more than anything, but maybe it wasn’t meant to be.

He didn’t say anything else as he turned back towards the direction his bedroom was in, stripping out of his work clothes and making his way to the adjacent bathroom for a shower. Once he was done, he changed into a pair of black skinny jeans, a white v-neck t-shirt, and an old pair of Converse. He pulled on a black hoodie, and left his bedroom, making his way back through the living room. He stopped in front of Shuuhei, opening his mouth to speak, but the other put his hand up making him halt in his efforts.

“Don’t,” was all he said, and Ichigo nodded, grabbing his phone, wallet, and keys from the coffee table. He left the house without saying anything else.

As he took the familiar route to Spirit, he couldn’t help letting a few tears fall from his eyes. He was so stressed out, and he felt sadness washing over him as he realized that his days with Shuuhei were numbered. He didn’t know if he would actually miss him, or if he’d miss the comfort of being in a relationship. That was one of the biggest issues plaguing his mind. He used his sleeve to wipe at his eyes before he pulled his hood up over his head. He’d arrived at his destination, and the last thing he wanted was for people to see him crying.

He pushed the door open, seeing that it was a full house. Of course it was; it was Grimmjow’s night after all. He made his way over to the counter, taking a seat and ordering a chamomile. He looked up at the stage, taking in Grimmjow’s presence. His guitar was in his lap and he wore distressed stonewashed skinny jeans with the Spirit employee t-shirt and black and white Vans. His hair was covered by a white beanie, and he was smiling, but it didn’t look right. It wasn’t Ichigo’s favorite smile; it was that sad one that he’d given him when they first talked about Shuuhei. It broke Ichigo’s heart to see that smile. Grimmjow let out a sigh before he spoke into the mic,

“Sorry, guys. I’m not really feeling my best right now, but in the immortal words of the great Freddie Mercury, _the show must go on_.” He chuckled slightly, strumming his guitar. “This one is for someone who’s very special to me. I asked him to come tonight, but I guess he couldn’t make it. I’m gonna sing it for him anyway.”

Ichigo realized that Grimmjow hadn’t noticed him come in. He also hadn’t removed his hood, so his hair wasn’t visible. Grimmjow really thought he didn’t come. He wanted to get his attention, but he thought it’d be rude to interrupt, seeing as Grimmjow had already started to play the lovely melody of the song he’d be singing.

_“I don’t have much to give but I don’t care for gold; what use is money when you need someone to hold? Don’t have direction I’m just roaming down this road; waiting for you to bring me in from out the cold. You’ll never know the endless nights, the rhyming of the rain; or how it feels to fall behind and watch you call his name. . .”_

Ichigo could feel tears prickling at his eyes once more. He could hear the pain in the other’s beautiful voice and it hurt him so much to know that he was the cause of it. And it was all because he was afraid.

_“Pack up and leave everything; don’t you see what I can bring? Can’t keep this beating heart at bay; set my midnight sorrow free; I will give you all of me, just leave your lover. . .leave him for me; leave your lover. . .leave him for me. . .”_

Ichigo brought his hand to his mouth to muffle the quiet sob that was trying to escape from his throat. He thought about how hard Grimmjow had been trying to get close to him without overstepping boundaries even though he liked Ichigo so much. He thought about how Grimmjow had listened to him whine about his problems with Shuuhei and then watched him go home to him every night. He thought about how he’d been ignoring him for the past two weeks because he thought it’d be best for both of them, but he was wrong.

_“We sit in bars and raise our drinks to growing old; oh, I’m in love with you, and you will never know; but if I can’t have you I want this life alone; spare you the rising storm and let the rivers flow. You’ll never know the endless nights, the rhyming of the rain; or how it feels to fall behind and watch you call his name. . .”_

Ichigo’s tears were dripping onto his jeans, leaving barely noticeable spots as he hung his head and cried. He cried because he’d been a complete asshole to Grimmjow, utterly ignoring the other’s feelings in favor of his own fear, because that was the real reason he wanted to avoid the whole situation; he was scared to death of getting hurt. But something told him deep down that Grimmjow would never hurt him. Maybe it was the way he looked at him when he thought Ichigo wouldn’t notice; maybe it was the way he always asked about Ichigo’s day before talking about anything else; maybe it was the fact that he wanted to be Ichigo’s friend, even if it meant putting aside his feelings. Whatever it was, Ichigo knew he had a decision to make.

_“Pack up and leave everything; don’t you see what I can bring? Can’t keep this beating heart at bay; set my midnight sorrow free; I will give you all of me, just leave your lover. . .leave him for me; leave your lover. . .leave him for me. . .”_

Ichigo looked up then, catching sight of Grimmjow just as the other’s swirling blue eyes slid open. He knew he couldn’t see him, but he felt like he was singing directly to him as he finished the song; in a way he was.

_“Leave your lover. . .leave him for me.”_

Applause erupted around the room, some people even giving Grimmjow a standing ovation. He gave the same sad smile as before, and Ichigo couldn’t take it anymore; he got up from his seat and bolted out the door. He ran and ran and ran, until his lungs were on fire and his legs felt like they’d give out. When he got back to his home, he collapsed in the driveway, utterly sobbing. It had been quite some time since he’d cried like this, and it took a while to pull himself together, but once he did he knew exactly what he had to do. He picked himself up off the ground, dusting his clothes off and making his way to the door. He unlocked it and went inside, finding Shuuhei sitting in the same spot that he’d been in when Ichigo left. Shuuhei looked at him inquisitively, a frown set into his features.

“Have you been crying?” he asked. Ichigo just nodded slowly. Shuuhei got up then, crossing the room and standing in front of him. “Why?”

Ichigo felt the tears coming again as he looked away from the other. His voice came out in a raspy whisper as he spoke,

“Because I’m leaving you.”


	8. Love is not a victory march. . .

##  Chapter Eight: _Love is not a victory march. . ._

_By: Jeff Buckley_

"Jacks? Jacks? C'mon man, snap out of it."

Grimmjow barely registered the voice speaking to him as Renji's. He rubbed at his eyes, blinking a few times before he gripped his comforter and pulled it up over his head. He heard a disgruntled moan come from the crimson-haired male's throat before he ripped the covers off of Grimmjow, throwing them across the room. The disoriented blunet shivered and reached for the covers even though they were no longer there.

"It's been a week, man. When are you gonna get it together? You've missed a lot of class."

"I don't care."

"Yes you do. You love this school more than anyone I've met. Why can't you just let it go? Are you gonna throw away everything you've worked for just because some dude didn't call you back?"

Grimmjow knew Renji was right, but he wanted more time to wallow in his misery. He also knew that Renji wasn't going to allow that, and so he pulled himself up, sitting on the edge of his bed and quickly brushing away some tears that had accidentally slipped out when his friend brought up the reason he'd barely left his bedroom for the past seven days. He just couldn't believe what had happened. One minute he and Ichigo were becoming fast friends and the next he couldn't even get him to answer a text message. After a while, Grimmjow had just let his phone die. What use did he have for the stupid thing now?

He looked into his living room to see that Renji had settled down on his couch, arms folded and a stern expression set into his features. Grimmjow sighed and headed for the bathroom to shower. He knew Renji wouldn't leave unless he did, so he figured now was as good a time as any to get his shit together, even if it was only a little bit.

He turned on the water and stepped under the scalding spray, his muscles relaxing instantly. He needed this. Nothing soothed his soul quite like a hot shower did. He grabbed his body wash lathering up and cleaning himself thoroughly. He used his shampoo to wash his hair and then rinsed it out. He turned the water off and got out of the shower, grabbing a towel to dry off with. He went back to his room, pulling on a clean pair of boxer-briefs before sifting through his jeans until he found his favorite pair of white and black skinny jeans. He pulled them on, followed by a black v-neck and his trusty black and white Vans. He covered his still wet hair with a white beanie and grabbed his still dead phone from the nightstand. He'd charge it once he got to school. Maybe.

"Alright, I'm ready," he said as he came back into his living room. Renji let out a dramatic sigh as he stood from the couch.

"Finally, after ten thousand years. Good God, let's go, Princess." Grimmjow managed to laugh at that. Leave it to Renji to cheer him up even when he didn't want to be cheered up. They left Grimmjow's apartment building and made the trek to their school in mostly silence. Grimmjow took the time to think about what had happened over the past three months that he'd known Ichigo.

For as long as he could remember, Grimmjow hadn't been exactly attracted to anyone. He never really had a preference because he never really felt sexual attraction. He'd never had a girlfriend or boyfriend for that matter, and he'd never met anyone who made him feel the way that Ichigo did. He was only attracted to Ichigo, and being rejected by him so many times really crushed him. He'd tried to hide it because it wasn't Ichigo's fault that Grimmjow felt the way he did, but he couldn't help himself. All he wanted was to be around Ichigo; to be able to touch him, hold his hand, kiss him. Maybe it wasn't meant to be though. That's what hurt more than anything, the thought that maybe he'd been wrong about his feelings. Maybe it was just a silly crush; he was just a stupid kid after all.

He sighed as they came into the front entrance of the school, walking down the hallway. He saw Nel and Takashi at the end of the corridor and he gave them a weak smile and a wave. Nel ran to him immediately. He braced himself for an attack of the boobies, but it never came. Nel slowed to a walk before she got to him, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. He couldn't help hugging her back. The contact felt nice.

"I'm so sorry, Jacks. I thought he really liked you," she said softly. Grimmjow fought back tears, squeezing Nel tighter.

"I thought he did too," he said, just above a whisper. The hug lasted for a while longer before they let each other go. Nel offered him a kind smile, just as Takashi joined them, gripping Grimmjow’s shoulder to show his support. With their little group completed, they headed down the hallway toward their classes.

Grimmjow usually enjoyed his classes so much, but not today. He found himself staring out the window more often than not, barely keeping his focus on whatever lecture his professors were giving. He felt bad about not paying attention in class; this was all he wanted to do, but he couldn’t even do it because he couldn’t stop thinking about those pretty brown eyes and that shocking orange hair. He knew right then that what he felt for Ichigo was more than just a crush.

He found himself strolling aimlessly through the halls between his classes. He knew he was completely pathetic. He wandered into the auditorium, the one he always met his friends in for lunch. None of them were there yet though, and he smiled a bit as he looked at the grand piano on the stage. There was one thing he knew would change his mood. He made his way to the stage, dropping his messenger bag at the edge of it and crossing to the piano. He sat down and began to play.

 

* * *

 

Ichigo looked up at the tall, daunting building in front of him. He’d never actually visited the esteemed school of music before, even though he’d lived in New York for the better part of eight years. That was about to change though. He needed to be here. He needed to see Grimmjow.

He’d been trying to contact the other ever since two days after the incident with Shuuhei. Yes, he’d definitely left the other man; he was letting him stay in his house until he found a place of his own, but Ichigo himself had been staying in a hotel. He wasn’t sure how they’d went from being in love to not being able to stand the sight of one another, but they had, and there wasn’t anything he could do to change that. If he’d learned anything from this whole experience, it was that some things just weren’t meant to be, and some things were. He believed his relationship with Grimmjow was one of those things that was meant to be.

That was another conclusion he’d come to over the past few days. He wanted to give this thing with Grimmjow a chance. He was willing to take the risk, even with the possibility of getting hurt looming over his head. He didn’t care; being without the other’s presence for so long proved to him how much he really needed Grimmjow in his life. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder.

He pushed the door open, making his way down the hall. He felt really out of place in his black slacks and untucked button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was surrounded by twenty-somethings in skinny jeans and band tees, and some even wore dance costumes. One of those people Ichigo immediately recognized as Grimmjow’s friend. It was hard to miss someone with sea green hair, even if it was tied into a rather severe bun. He made his way over to her, tapping her on her shoulder distracting her from her deep conversation with another girl. She turned around, her face showing instant recognition before she drew her hand back and slapped him across his face as hard as she could. And that was hard. Ichigo blinked back tears, holding his jaw with his own hand and stepping away from her.

“How dare you show your face here?!” she practically screeched. She was mad; boy, oh, boy was she mad. In any other situation, Ichigo probably would've been mad too, but this time he wasn’t. She had every right to slap the absolute shit out of him just like she had, and he’d be lucky if he didn’t get his ass kicked. He rubbed his stinging cheek, letting out a sigh.

“I’m sorry, okay, but I really need to see Grimmjow, and I couldn’t get in contact with him. This was a last resort.”

“Why on Earth would you want to see him? So you can hurt him some more? String him along and then run back to your little boyfriend?”

Her words hurt him a lot more than her slap did, and that slap hurt _a lot - god, why did she have to hit him so hard?_

“I just. . .please let me see him? I just want to apologize,” he said, being completely honest. He wanted another chance too, but that wasn’t the most important thing right now. More than anything he wanted to let Grimmjow know how sorry he was and how much of an idiot he’d been. He wanted the chance to make things right between him and Grimmjow, and apparently his friend could see that as she let out a sigh of her own and pointed down the adjacent corridor.

“Go that way. Follow the music.”

Ichigo nodded and quickly headed down the hall.

“Hey!” the green-haired girl called after him. He turned around to face her again, though he was glad he was out of her slapping-range. Her tawny eyes seemed to have flames in them as she spoke, “If you hurt him again, I will not hesitate to kick your ass. I am a ballerina; I have extremely strong legs. I will end your entire universe with one swift kick to your nads, got it?” Ichigo nodded swiftly, turning away and heading in the opposite direction. Damn she was scary.

He slowed his pace to a stroll as he made his way down the corridor. Just as the girl said, he could hear music. It was a piano; as he got closer to a set of double doors, he could hear a very familiar, very sad voice singing. He pushed the door open slowly, his heart fluttering in his chest at the sight of Grimmjow on the stage sitting at a grand piano, singing his heart out.

“ _Baby I’ve been here before; I’ve seen this room and I've walked this floor; I used to live alone before I knew ya; and I’ve seen your flag on the marble arch, and love is not a victory march, it’s a cold and it’s a broken hallelujah. Hallelujah. . .hallelujah. . .hallelujah. . .hallelujah. . ._ ”

Ichigo sat down in a chair in the back of the auditorium, watching Grimmjow intently. He was so. . . _beautiful_. Everything about the younger man was completely breath-taking, especially his voice. It wrapped itself around the delicate melody of the song he was singing so expertly that Ichigo was nearly brought to tears by the sheer beauty of it all. Grimmjow's talented fingers danced over the keys of the piano and Ichigo placed a hand over his heart, letting out a contented sigh. Jesus, he was swooning like a woman.

" _Maybe there's a God above; but all I've ever learned from love was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya; and it's not a cry that you hear at night; it's not somebody who's seen the light, it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah. . ._ "

Ichigo didn't miss how the other male's voice broke as he finished the song. Grimmjow was crying. Ichigo touched his own cheeks, feeling the wetness there. He was crying too. God, this was so ridiculous. He stood from his seat, marching toward the stage. Grimmjow had stood up by then, and he was peering out into the rows, trying to make out who was coming toward him. His eyes widened when he recognized who it was.

“Ichigo?” he asked, his voice small and tentative, as if the other would disappear if he said it too loud. Ichigo broke out into a run then, nearly sprinting down the aisle and jumping on the stage. He ran to Grimmjow, throwing himself into his arms and attaching their lips.

At first the blunet didn’t respond to the kiss, seemingly still surprised at Ichigo’s sudden appearance. Once it finally registered in his brain, he crushed the oranget in an embrace working his lips against Ichigo’s with fervor. Ichigo smiled into the kiss, brushing his tongue against Grimmjow’s bottom lip; the blue-haired male granted him access instantly, and their tongues danced with one another causing heat to flow through Ichigo’s body. He tangled his fingers in those soft blue locks that he was sure he adored, pushing himself even closer to Grimmjow, if that was even possible. He didn’t want anything to come between them anymore, not even an inch of space. Their makeout session was interrupted by a loud whistle followed by an equally loud voice,

“Get a room, nerds!” Grimmjow flipped off whomever it was that made that comment, but he still didn’t break the kiss. Ichigo pulled away reluctantly, but he kept his hands on either side of Grimmjow’s face, cupping his cheeks. He brushed his nose against the other's, smiling like crazy. He was only mirroring Grimmjow though.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” the blunet said, gently. “I thought for sure you hated me.” Ichigo brushed Grimmjow’s cheeks with the pads of his thumbs.

“I could never hate you, Grimm. If anyone should be hating anyone, you should hate me. I’m so, so sorry for hurting you. I never meant to hurt you and I never want to hurt you again.”

“I could never hate you either, Ichi. You’re too important to me.” Ichigo smiled up at the other. He was so happy that Grimmjow was giving him another chance. He didn’t want to waste this opportunity. It seemed that Grimmjow’s thoughts mirrored his own. He laced their fingers together, grinning wildly. “Let’s go on a date.”

Ichigo looked up at him through his thick orange lashes, smirking mischievously. “When and where, stud?”

“Oh, wow, you are. . . _so_ gay,” a female voice said, and Ichigo turned around, looking at the green-haired girl’s smirking face. Grimmjow chuckled at her statement before letting go of Ichigo and hopping down off the stage. He reached his hand out and Ichigo took it, letting Grimmjow help him down.

“Nelliel, this is Ichigo, the bae; Ichigo, this rude crouton is Nelliel.” Ichigo smiled, nervously.

“Uh, we’ve met.”

“When?”

“When she slapped the taste out of my mouth in the hallway,” Ichigo replied with a laugh. Nelliel waved Grimmjow off as he glared at her.

“Never mind that, it’s all in the past now. How dare you introduce me as a crusty cube of bread?”

“I should’ve introduced you as Morton.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re so damned salty.”

Ichigo laughed once more as Nelliel started to chase Grimmjow around the auditorium. It kind of reminded him of how he acted with his younger sisters. It was almost as if Grimmjow and Nelliel _were_ brother and sister. And then something clicked in his brain. Grimmjow’s father had said the woman he had his daughter with had sea green hair and tawny eyes. There couldn’t be very many people who fit that description, and he’d said his daughter was the spitting image of her mother. . .

_Holy shit_.


	9. Right from the start, I gave you my heart. . .

##  Chapter Nine: _Right from the start, I gave you my heart. . ._

_By: Elton John & Kiki Dee_

Ichigo sighed as he put his key into his front door’s lock and turned it. He hadn’t been to his house since the breakup, and there was a reason for that. He knew there was going to be a confrontation and he was avoiding it. He pushed the door open, stepping inside and shutting it behind him. He could feel a presence, which meant luck was not on his side and Shuuhei was in fact in the house. He rounded the corner, frowning at what he saw. Shuuhei sat on the couch in a pair of Ichigo’s pajama pants, drinking vodka straight from the bottle. He looked up at Ichigo, his steel grey eyes glassy with intoxication. Maybe since he was so drunk he wouldn’t try to argue with Ichigo. That was the hope that the oranget was hanging on to as he tried to pass through the living room without speaking.

“So you're just gonna walk right by like you don’t see me?” the raven-haired male said, his speech horribly slurred. Ichigo grimaced but didn’t turn around.

“I didn't come here to argue with you. I just need to get some things.” He continued in the direction of his bedroom, and he almost made it there before he heard the other male's words.

"I can't believe you did that." Confused, Ichigo turned back around and re-entered the living room.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. How dare you do this? How dare you cheat on me?" Shuuhei slurred as tears welled up in his eyes. Ichigo rolled his own.

"I did not cheat on you, Shuuhei. I would never do something like that."

"But you did!" The raven-haired male declared, standing from his seat on the couch, pointing a finger at Ichigo. "You-you. . .you fell in love with someone else. That's way worse than just fucking someone. How could you do that to me?"

Shuuhei's words hit Ichigo like a ton of bricks. He knew the other man was right; Ichigo had fallen in love with Grimmjow. He didn't mean for it to happen though. It wasn't as if he went to Spirit that day with the intention of falling in love with some insanely talented blue-haired singer. He just wanted some good tea and a nice show. He felt guilty. That was probably Shuuhei's goal. He ran a hand over his face before he pulled the still weeping Shuuhei in for a hug.

"I'm sorry, Shuu. I never wanted things to end like this." Shuuhei pushed him away roughly.

"But you wanted them to end. You didn't love me anymore. That really fucking hurts, Ichigo."

_I knew coming here was a bad idea_ , Ichigo thought as he turned away from the other and headed in his previously intended direction.

He felt so, so guilty. He knew he really shouldn’t have, but he couldn’t help it. Seeing Shuuhei so upset really tugged at his heartstrings. He still cared for the other so much, it just wasn’t the way it used to be. He and Shuuhei used to have fun with each other; they used to laugh together and stay up until crazy times in the morning just talking. When had everything changed? When had they fallen into the dull routine that eventually dragged them apart kicking and screaming? When had they started having to walk on eggshells around each other, trying to avoid an argument with every word they said to one another? This wasn’t what he had in mind when he asked Shuuhei on that first date two years ago. He never saw it ending like this. To be honest, he hadn’t seen it ending at all until a few months ago.

Tears threatened to fall from his eyes as he went to his bedroom to retrieve the items he’d come for. He didn’t want to cry; he’d already done more than enough crying over the past few days. Did he not deserve happiness? The way Shuuhei had been speaking kind of made Ichigo feel like the other was trying to guilt trip him into staying. Would he want to do that? Definitely not. He didn’t want Shuuhei to be upset, but he also didn’t want to cause himself unnecessary distress. He already had enough stress from his job, and dropping this less-than-satisfactory relationship with Shuuhei seemed to be a good idea. Maybe it would be for the best in the long run.

When he came back into the living room, Shuuhei had passed out on the couch. Ichigo frowned as he went to his linen closet and pulled out a throw blanket; he sighed as he tossed it over Shuuhei's unconscious form. He hated seeing him like this, and he hated that he was the cause of it. He felt like a grade A asshole. Here was Shuuhei, a complete mess, while Ichigo already had plans to go on a date with someone else. That was pretty shitty, and it only proved Shuuhei's point about Ichigo "cheating". He knew Grimmjow was more than ready to start a relationship with him, but was it too soon?

 

* * *

 

Grimmjow stood in the middle of his bedroom, scratching through his unkempt blue locks. He was surrounded by clothing that he’d thrown all over the place. He just couldn’t figure out what to wear. He knew it was kind of ridiculous, seeing as he’d already gotten to know the oranget that he had a date with fairly well, but he still wanted to impress the other. This was their first official date after all, and he didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize his chance to finally be able to call Ichigo his.

He settled for a black v-neck long sleeved sweater over a white tank with white skinny jeans and black Converse. He checked himself out in his full-body mirror, semi-impressed with his decision. He went to the bathroom to fix his hair before he threw on a black beanie. Once he was done, he left his bedroom not bothering to clean up the mess. He stopped by the kitchen for a glass of water, and then grabbed his keys from the island, locking his apartment behind him.

He smiled to himself as he walked down the street and thought about what he had planned for his date with Ichigo. He didn't know how the other man was going to react to it, but he'd be taking him to a karaoke bar named Gambino’s. His friend, Shukuro, was the owner, and he honestly couldn't wait. This would be the first time in a while that he’d get to spend with Ichigo and he wanted it to be as much fun as possible. They’d already had more than enough drama in the short time that they’d known each other, and all he wanted was for them to have a nice time together without worrying about divorces or ex-boyfriends or whatever else.

Speaking of divorces, he’d yet to contact his father. His mother had told him to, but he was avoiding it. Never in all his nineteen years did he think his father would cheat on his mother. Even outsiders could see how much Malcolm and Juliana loved each other. It was still so surreal, and he just wasn’t ready to face his dad. He still didn’t know how Nel was involved in all of this; there was no way she was sleeping with his father, since she was asexual, but emotional infidelity was just as bad as physical infidelity in his book. He decided that he’d speak to his father, if only to find out what exactly he was doing secretly meeting with Grimmjow’s best friend.

Being lost in his thoughts had shortened his walk and before he knew it, he was outside Gambino’s. He’d promised Ichigo that he’d wait outside, so he took his phone out checking for a message from his date. There wasn’t one, so he unlocked his phone, tapping on the message icon and choosing Ichigo’s name, only to see that the man was already typing something. Grimmjow waited patiently for the message to appear, and he smiled when it did.

_I see you..._

The blue-haired male looked up from his phone then, peering across the street and meeting Ichigo’s smiling brown eyes with his own blue ones. The oranget dug his hands into his pockets, his smile still bright as he crossed the street and stood in front of Grimmjow.

“Hey there,” he said, casually, and Grimmjow couldn’t contain his happiness as he leaned in for a kiss that Ichigo hesitantly obliged to.

“Hey, yourself,” the blunet said once they pulled apart. “You look gorgeous.”

It was a true statement. Ichigo was dressed in a fitted white v-neck t-shirt, tight black skinny jeans, a bomb ass leather jacket with all kinds of chains and spikes on it, and black Vans hi-top sneakers. He looked - for lack of a better word - hot. The pretty pink blush on his cheeks accentuated his freckles and his fluffy orange hair fell around his face, framing it perfectly. God, Ichigo just got more perfect every time Grimmjow saw him.

“You look great too, Grimm. Can we go inside now?” Ichigo asked, softly. Grimmjow nodded, and grasped Ichigo’s hand, heading for the front door. As they walked, Ichigo slowly slid his hand out of Grimmjow’s.

_That stings a little_ , he thought to himself, but quickly shook it off. _Maybe he just doesn’t like PDA_.

They made their way into the club, finding an empty booth near the back. Grimmjow flagged down a waitress, and Ichigo ordered a beer while the blunet settled for a Coke. After Ichigo made a joke about dating someone who wasn’t even old enough to drink yet, Grimmjow decided to change the subject.

“So, why’d you want to be an attorney? And what made you choose to be a divorce attorney? Isn’t that like super depressing?” he asked, and Ichigo let out a dry chuckle.

“You have no idea, babe,” he said, taking a swig of his beer that the waitress had delivered promptly. Grimmjow couldn’t help how his heart fluttered when Ichigo called him “babe”, even if it was only in a joking manner. “I guess I chose law because everyone expected me to be successful, and I didn’t want to practice medicine. I love my dad and what he does is super important, but I’ve never been interested in the medical field. People always told me I could argue my way out of anything, and they weren’t lying. And to answer your question about being a divorce attorney, it really wasn’t a choice so much as an opportunity. My friend Rukia’s brother had an opening in his firm and I was fresh out of college, so of course I wasn’t about to pass up a job. Now here I am, eight years later, the youngest senior partner ever at Kuchiki & Associates.”

The entire time Ichigo had been speaking, Grimmjow had been taking note of his body language. The more Ichigo talked about his job, the less enthusiastic he got. He didn’t know why that was; why would Ichigo stay at a job that he didn’t like? He didn’t seem like the type of person to do things that didn’t make him happy, at least not the way Grimmjow saw him. Instead of prying though, he decided to change the subject. His goal tonight was to have fun, not to probe.

“So, what’s the first song you ever heard by Pierce The Veil?” he asked, and Ichigo’s face lit up once more. _There we go_.

“ _Yeah Boy and Doll Face_. I heard it when I was hanging out with my best friend, Shinji. He’s always been into bands like that, and he introduced me to a lot of the bands I listen to today. My favorite song by them is definitely _Hold On Till May_. It’s a fucking masterpiece, I swear.” Grimmjow smiled nodding his agreement. He loved how happy Ichigo was about the music he listened to. This was definitely a step up from the lackluster turn that their conversation had taken beforehand. Just then, the lights dimmed a bit, and Grimmjow’s smile grew wider as they both looked at the stage where Shukuro stood.

“Hello everyone! As you all know, it’s now eight o’clock, and it’s time for karaoke to begin!” Grimmjow watched Ichigo, trying to gage the other’s reaction, but he found the oranget unreadable. “Remember to have fun, but I will be judging you, and the winner receives three hundred dollars at the end of the night! First up we have Taiga Kagami singing. . . _Barbie Girl_ by Aqua!”

Ichigo turned to Grimmjow, chuckling as a rather tall and athletically built male with red hair and funky eyebrows took to the stage as the song’s horrid intro began. He obviously lost a bet or got dared to do it. There was no way anyone would willingly do this, right?

“So, this is pretty funny. Did you bring me here to laugh at all these people and their terrible song choices?” the oranget inquired, and Grimmjow tried to make his smile as unsuspecting as possible.

“Yep. You having fun?” he asked, and Ichigo nodded, smiling brightly as he looked back at the stage. Grimmjow loved Ichigo’s smile. It was honestly one of the most beautiful things about the other. He wanted to be the person to make Ichigo smile like that every day for the rest of his life. He’d never let Ichigo be sad again if he had any say in the matter.

After a while, they’d heard so many terrible performances; only one person, a shy guy named Wonderweiss, managed to give a decent performance. His rendition of _1, 2, 3, 4_ by Plain White T’s actually wasn’t half bad.

“Alright, our last performance of the night will be by a duo. Please give it up for Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and Ichigo Kurosaki singing. . . _Don’t Go Breaking My Heart_ by Elton John and Kiki Dee!”

Grimmjow stood from his seat, watching as Ichigo looked at him with a highly offended expression on his face. He laughed a little, offering the other male his hand.

“C’mon, Ichi. It’ll be fun, I promise.” Ichigo shook his head, taking Grimmjow’s hand in his own.

“I don’t appreciate the disrespect that I’m feeling right now. I just want to let you know that.”

“Yeah, yeah, doll face,” Grimmjow quipped, and Ichigo couldn’t help but to smile at that as they walked up on the stage. “You take Elton, I’ll take Kiki, ‘kay?” Ichigo nodded and accepted the mic that Grimmjow was handing him as the tune of the song started up. He didn’t need to look at the screen, so he stared into Grimmjow’s eyes as he started to sing,

“ **Don’t go breaking my heart**. . .” Grimmjow smiled at Ichigo, laying a hand over his chest as he sang back,

“ _I couldn’t if I tried_. . .”

“ **Oh, honey if I get restless**. . .”

“ _Baby, you’re not that kind_. . .” Ichigo couldn’t help smiling as well, as the upbeat tune of the song and Grimmjow’s animated gestures lifted his spirits. Honestly, Shuuhei and his job were so far away from his mind. All he was thinking about was this beautiful blue-haired male who stole his heart and this incredibly catchy pop song that he was sure he was butchering.

“ _ **Ooh, nobody knows it**_. . .”

“ **When I was down**. . .”

“ _I was your clown_. . .”

“ _ **Ooh, nobody knows it, nobody knows it**_. . .”

“ **Right from the start**. . .”

“ _I gave you my heart, oh, I gave you my heart_. . .” Ichigo loved the way Grimmjow’s voice came out smooth and velvety and he’d be telling a blatant lie if he said he wasn’t having fun right then.

“ **So don’t go breaking my heart**. . .” Grimmjow took one of Ichigo’s hands in his own as he sang,

“ _I won’t go breaking your heart_. . .”

Once they finished the song, Ichigo was surprised at the loud applause that erupted around the room. He realized it must’ve been for Grimmjow; he did have such an amazing voice after all. He watched the blunet take a bow before he left the stage with the other following after him.

“Wasn’t that fun, Ichi?” Grimmjow asked, and the older male smiled, nodding his head. They ordered a few more drinks as they waited for the results of the contest. “So, why didn’t you tell me you could sing too?”

“Um. . .” Ichigo said, lifting an eyebrow, “because I can’t?”

“Lies. All lies. I’ll have none of this!” The oranget laughed at his blue-haired companion’s dramatics. “You have a beautiful voice, Ichigo.”

“Oh, stop it. My voice is shit compared to yours,” Ichigo responded, waving Grimmjow off as he fought a blush. Grimmjow just shook his head.

“You shouldn’t compare yourself to others, Ichi. We’re all different; we all have things we’re good at and things we suck at. That’s what makes life fun though; it’d be pretty boring if we were all the same, don’t you think?” The oranget stared at Grimmjow with a look the blue-haired vocalist couldn’t put a name to. It almost seemed as if he was contemplating something. Just as he was about to speak, Shukuro returned to the stage, garnering everyone’s attention.

“Okay, I have chosen a winner,” he said waving around a white envelope. He opened it and smiled brightly. “The winners are Grimmjow and Ichigo!”

Ichigo looked incredibly surprised and Grimmjow grinned as he took the other male’s hand in his own and walked toward the stage. Ichigo was so cute, and he didn’t even know it. Grimmjow accepted the prize money along with a ribbon from Shukuro and they headed back to their seats.

“I can’t believe we won. Well I mean, you would’ve won on your own, but with me, I can’t believe it,” Ichigo said, still looking flabbergasted. Grimmjow just chuckled.

“I told you, you have a beautiful voice, Ichigo. It’s just as beautiful as the rest of you.” Grimmjow watched the pretty pink blush spread and he smiled.

“Can we go? I’m craving chicken nuggets,” the oranget said. Grimmjow nodded and paid their tab, against Ichigo’s protests of course. The blunet sighed as they left the club.

“Ichigo, this is a date - a date that _I_ asked _you_ on. What would it look like if you paid for anything?” The older male pouted in a manly fashion, and Grimmjow reached out and entwined their fingers. He felt Ichigo tense under the touch and he frowned. He stopped them and looked into the other’s pretty brown eyes that he’d fallen so deeply in love with. “Ichi, do you not want to be seen holding my hand? Are you like. . .ashamed of me, or something?”

“No, no, of course not,” Ichigo answered, hastily, cupping Grimmjow’s cheek with one of his hands. “It’s just. . .”

“What is it? You don’t. . .” Grimmjow hesitated to finish his inquiry; he was afraid of the answer he’d get. He had to ask though; it would irk him to the ends of the earth if he didn’t. “You don’t want to be with me?”

“I do, but. . .” Ichigo removed his hand from Grimmjow’s face, the blunet missing the warmth of his touch instantly. “I just need some time. I just got out of a long relationship and I don’t want -”

“It’s fine,” Grimmjow interrupted, holding up his hand so Ichigo would stop speaking. He didn’t need to hear anything else. “I get it. I’m not really hungry though, so I think I’m gonna call it a night, ‘kay?” The oranget bit his lip and nodded, his eyes shimmering as he looked at the taller blunet. Grimmjow couldn’t resist pulling him in for a hug. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

He felt Ichigo nod once more, and when he pulled back, he took the opportunity to grasp the smaller male’s lips with his own. The kiss was short and sweet, much like the one they’d shared when they first met. When he pulled away, he left without looking at the other, only to hide the pained look on his face. He didn’t want to make Ichigo feel guilty. He understood what the older male was going through; or at least he tried to.


	10. I'm sorry, believe me, I love you. . .

##  Chapter Ten: _I’m sorry, believe me, I love you. . ._

_By: Sam Smith_

Ichigo adjusted his glasses and rubbed his temple as he listened to the heated exchange between his client and his soon-to-be-ex wife. The way they spoke to each other would make some people wonder how they stayed together for so long. These hour-long sessions seemed like centuries, with Juliana constantly bringing up Malcolm's indiscretion. It was honestly so ridiculous. They never got anything done, and Ichigo was tired of it.

"Ms. Stefano, please don't shout," Ichigo grumbled, leaning back in his chair. Fuck professionalism; he was tired. He hadn't been sleeping well the past week since his date with Grimmjow. He felt like such an asshole, and it didn't help that he'd had minimal contact with the other for the past week. It wasn't that they didn't talk, because they texted each other everyday. It just seemed to Ichigo that Grimmjow was far more distant than he had been before their date. He'd only get short answers from the other, and sometimes it'd only be one word. He didn't blame Grimmjow; he understood why the blue-haired male was acting this way, but understanding it didn't make it hurt less.

He rolled his eyes as Juliana mumbled something about him not being her father and Malcolm cleared his throat.

"I have something to say." Juliana opened her mouth, but Malcolm held his hand up, silencing her. She frowned deeply as the elder Jaegerjaquez began to speak again. "This has gone on for far too long. You want me to sign the papers? Fine. You want sixty percent of my business? Fine. You want the house, the cars, and half the money that's in my bank account right now? Fine. Take all of it. But I want you to know right now that I still love you; with every single fiber of my being, Juliana Denise Stefano, _I love you_. I never cheated on you -"

"Your daughter proves otherwise," Juliana interrupted, crossing her arms over her chest and rolling her eyes. Malcolm's jaw clenched.

"We were _separated_ , Juli! It's not like I knew Penny before we separated. I never loved her like I love you; I'll never love _anyone_ the way I love you."

Juliana bit her lip, tears forming in her clear blue eyes as she looked away from Malcolm's pleading brown ones.

"But you lied to me, Malcolm. Why didn't you just tell me? I would've been mad, yes, but you deprived a little girl of growing up with her father in her life. You kept a secret from me, and I never kept a secret from you. That's what hurts the most."

Ichigo watched as Malcolm thought about what Juliana had said. He now understood why she'd been so hostile in that first meeting. It wasn't because of her husband's indiscretion; it was because he'd betrayed her trust by keeping something so important from her. He saw Juliana in a different light then; she'd gone from cantankerous bitch to someone he could relate to. He knew what it was like to be lied to, and he didn't like it. While she may have overreacted slightly, he could see where she was coming from.

"I'm sorry, Juli. It's just that we had Grimmjow, and you - _we_ were so happy and I didn't want to mess things up again. I didn't think you'd understand."

"You didn't give me a chance to."

“What if I had? Would you have accepted her?”

“Of course I would have, Malcolm. All we wanted was to have children of our own. Do you really think I would’ve turned her away just because the circumstances of her birth were less than savory?”

“Would you like to meet her?” Malcolm asked, and everyone looked at him with shock. Juliana was of course the most surprised.

“She’s here?” Malcolm nodded in the affirmative. “Then yes, I’d love to meet her.”

Ichigo watched as Malcolm got up from his seat and headed out of the conference room. If his speculations were right, how would Nelliel react to seeing him there? Would she tell Grimmjow? And did she know Grimmjow was her brother? The door opened and Malcolm returned to the room, followed by a head full of sea green hair. So he was right. Nelliel locked eyes with him, and she recognized him instantly. He shrunk a bit in his seat subconsciously. She glared slightly, but only he noticed it before she turned her attention to Juliana, giving the older woman a sweet smile.

“Juli, this is Nelliel; Nel, this is my wife, Juliana.”

"It's so nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Jaegerjaquez. Daddy's told me all about you, though you're even more beautiful than I'd imagined," Nel said, and Juliana smiled at her before she rose from her seat and crossed the room to stand in front of the younger woman.

"Well aren't you the charmer," she said with a laugh. She reached out and touched Nel's hair. "You're absolutely gorgeous. Malcolm, how could you keep her a secret for so long?"

The two women exchanged more pleasantries, and before they knew it, the session was over. They'd all agreed to go out for lunch, Ichigo declining their offer for him to join them, seeing as he had another meeting in a half hour. Malcolm and Juliana were heading out when Nel stopped.

"Daddy, do you mind if I stay back for a second? I'd like to ask Mr. Kurosaki some questions." Ichigo froze as Malcolm nodded.

"Sure, but don't take too long. Mr. Kurosaki is a very busy man." Nel gave a short nod, turning her attention to Ichigo as her father and stepmother left the conference room. Once the door shut behind them, she stormed over to him and he reflexively took three steps back.

"Where do you get off keeping something like this from Jacks?" she hissed, and Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"Oh, and I'm sure you've already gone up to him and said, 'oh, hey, I'm your long lost illegitimate half-sister'. Gimme a fucking break."

"You think I want to hide this from him? The only reason I haven't told him is because Daddy asked me not to. What's your excuse, huh?"

"I can't discuss cases outside of work. I could be disbarred. Plus, I really don't think it's any of my business. Mr. and Mrs. Jaegerjaquez should tell Grimmjow this themselves." Nel crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

"I guess you're right. But that still doesn't excuse the bullshit you pulled last week." Ichigo sighed and ran a hand over his face.

"It's complicated, alright? I'm not deliberately trying to hurt, Grimm, so please keep your hands to yourself."

"The only person making this complicated is you. It's simple, really; either you like Grimmjow and want to be with him or you don't. Pick one. And you better make it quick, because I'm not gonna keep standing by while you cause my brother so much grief." Ichigo frowned as the door to the conference room opened and Malcolm poked his head in.

"Alright, Nel, time's up. Let's go." Nel's face brightened with a large smile as she turned to her father.

"I'll be just a second, Daddy," she said. Malcolm nodded and left once more. Nel turned back to Ichigo, her smile replaced with a serious scowl that looked a lot like Grimmjow's. "I mean it, Kurosaki. Fix it."

She gave him one more pointed glare before she turned and left Ichigo alone in the room. He sighed again as he packed up his things. He supposed he had no choice but to talk to Grimmjow.

* * *

Grimmjow smiled as he made his way onto Spirit's familiar stage. Words could not express how happy being able to perform made him. He picked up his rhythm guitar, plugging it into the amp. He was getting ready to sit when Riruka stepped onto the stage with him. She gave him a tight smile, which he returned with a small one of his own.

"Everything okay?" he asked. She nodded, rubbing at her forearm. It was a nervous habit she had; he'd noticed that over the months that he'd been working with her.

"Yeah, yeah. I just, umm. . .wanted to ask for a favor?" Grimmjow could tell how uncomfortable she was with this, so he decided not to tease her - just this once.

"Lay it on me, fam," he said, smiling brightly.

"Well, my step-brother is getting married in a few months, and they're having trouble finding a band. My friends and I agreed to do it, but my ex was our lead, and he obviously doesn't want to do it anymore, so I was wondering -"

"Say no more. Just name the time and place and I'm there," Grimmjow said, and Riruka's face lit up with a bright smile. It may have been the first genuine smile that he'd seen her give, and he had to admit she was beautiful when she smiled like that. If he wasn't so wrapped up in a certain orange-haired attorney, he'd probably go for her.

"Thank you so much, Grimm! I'll message you with the details once I talk to my step-brother." Grimmjow nodded and Riruka left the stage.

He sat down, looking out at the crowd that had piled into the shop. He couldn't believe the following he'd garnered since he started working at Spirit. He wouldn't call himself famous or anything, but people knew him. He'd been approached multiple times outside of work, and it felt good. It was nice to hear people tell him they loved his voice and that hearing him sing brought them joy. That was more than he could ask for. As he tuned his guitar, he winked at a group of girls that always sat at the same table near the stage. He grinned as they giggled coquettishly.

Situating the mic in front of himself, he let his eyes roam over the crowd as he spoke, "Excellent turnout. I hope everyone is doing well. I'm gonna start with something soft for you all, if that's okay."

His first few songs went smoothly, and as he was beginning his third, he couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched intently. Of course he was being watched, he was performing after all, but he felt like someone was glaring at him. His eyes roamed over the crowd until they met a pair of steel grey ones. The man staring at him looked angry, but that could just be the way his face was. He was fairly attractive, with tanned skin and a sixty-nine tattoo under his left eye. Grimmjow couldn’t understand why the man was staring at him so hard; maybe he’d ask if the man was still around after he was done performing.

“This next one is for a special someone. Guess I sing for him a lot huh?” He chuckled as he started playing the song. “You all sing with me if you know this.”

_“And I hate to say, ‘I love you.’ when it’s so hard for me; and I hate to say, ‘I want you.’ when you make it so clear you don’t want me. I’d never ask you ‘cause deep down I’m certain I know what you’d say; you’d say, ‘I’m sorry, believe me, I love you, but not in that way. . .”_

He smiled as he heard people singing along with him. He liked getting the crowd involved. Though this particular song made his heart clench a bit, he was still happy to be singing. His thoughts drifted to Ichigo, and he felt himself getting choked up as he began the second verse.

_“And I hate to say, ‘I need you’; I’m so reliant, I’m so dependent, I’m such a fool; when you’re not there. . .I find myself singing the blues; can’t bear, can’t face the truth. . .you will never know that feeling; you will never see through these eyes. I’d never ask you ‘cause deep down I’m certain I know what you’d say; you’d say, ‘I’m sorry, believe me, I love you. . .but not in that way. . .”_

He met eyes with the dark-haired man from before yet again, and he seemed even angrier. Grimmjow tried to ignore it, so he closed his eyes as he finished the song.

_“You’d say, ‘I’m sorry, believe me, I love you, but not in that way’.”_

Grimmjow smiled warmly as he waited for the applause to dull. Once it did, he excused himself before he set his guitar down, hopping off the stage and heading straight for the man who’d been staring him down. Grimmjow had never been one to avoid confrontation, and he didn’t hesitate to plop himself right down in front of the other male, giving him a huge grin.

“Can I help you with something, sir?” he asked, impudently. The tattooed male rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest.

“No. I just came to see what all the fuss was about. You’re cute, no doubt, but what are you, fourteen?” Grimmjow couldn’t wrap his mind around what exactly this man’s problem was. He narrowed his eyes curtly, mouth slackening just slightly, and raised his right hand a few inches from himself, as if to accept something. His fingers just barely curled before he spoke,

“The fuck? I’m grown.” He crossed his own arms over his chest. The smaller male tsked, rolling his eyes once more.

“Barely.”

“Okay, but why are you so bitter and rude? I don’t even know you.” The grey-eyed man looked surprised about that.

“He didn’t tell you about me?” Now Grimmjow was even more confused.

“Who?”

“It doesn’t matter. Once he realizes that you’re nothing but a child, he’ll come back to me.”

It all made sense now. This man was Ichigo’s ex-boyfriend. He couldn't remember his name to save his life, but why was he here? Was he supposed to be scaring Grimmjow off or something? While the blue-haired vocalist would admit that the other man was a bit intimidating, he was sure he could take him in a fight if it came to it. Then again, he wouldn’t want it to come to that. Fighting over a guy was petty and childish. Contrary to what seemed to be popular belief, Grimmjow was in fact not a child. He stood from the table, frowning deeply.

“Look, dude, I didn’t have anything to do with Ichigo breaking up with you. That was his decision. I’m not about to let you come into my workplace and talk to me however you want to. You’re free to enjoy the rest of the show, but don’t keep giving me death glares. It’s not my fault Ichigo saw you for what you are.” The other male stood too, and he was at least a half a foot shorter than Grimmjow, but that didn’t seem to deter him one bit.

“And what exactly is that?” he hissed. Grimmjow brought his finger to his chin, feigning deep thought.

“A whiny, pissant asshole?”

The next few seconds were a blur. The man drew back his fist and was about to punch Grimmjow, but before he could even move another inch, long fingers wrapped around his wrist and pulled him back. Grimmjow blinked and Ichigo was standing in front of him, facing his ex boyfriend. The blue-haired male couldn't see the other's face, but he was sure he was scowling heavily. Malice dripped from his voice as he spoke,

"I want you out of my house by noon tomorrow."

"But, I still haven't -"

"I don't care. Get the fuck out of here." The dark-haired male gave his ex-boyfriend a glare before he did the same to Grimmjow.

"Don't come crawling back to me when that kid gets bored with you."

"Oh you mean like he was with you?" Grimmjow shot back. Ichigo turned to him then, glaring.

"Grimmjow, shut up." The younger man pursed his lips; he knew better than to cross Ichigo. "And as for you," he said, turning back to his ex, "if you're not out of my house tomorrow, your shit will be on the lawn. Out."

They watched the man leave, muttering obscenities under his breath. Once he was gone, Ichigo turned to Grimmjow once more, his eyes apologetic. Grimmjow smiled gently, leaning down and stopping just before he touched Ichigo's lips. He didn't have to wait long for the other to bring their lips together. The kiss was soft and gentle, and Grimmjow couldn't get enough. He knew for sure that he loved Ichigo with all his heart. What that man had said was useless. Grimmjow would never get bored with Ichigo. He just hoped the other wouldn't get bored with him.

Once they pulled apart, Ichigo looked at Grimmjow again. "I'm sorry," he said, softly. "I don't even know how he found out you worked here."

"He's so bitter and ugly, but I'm not worried about him. I'm just happy to see you." He embraced the other, his stomach flip-flopping when Ichigo hugged him back just as tight.

"I miss you."

"Ichi, we talk every day."

"That's not what I meant. You've been distant this past week, and I don't want that," he said, pulling back so he could look into Grimmjow's eyes. The blue-haired male was sure they were filled with confusion, because he didn't know what was happening. Didn't Ichigo say he needed time? And didn't time usually also go hand-in-hand with space? He thought he was doing the right thing by keeping his distance and giving Ichigo his space.

"I don't understand. I thought you wanted -"

"I want you."

Grimmjow's breath caught in his throat. His ears must've been deceiving him. He swallowed the lump in his throat before he spoke, "W-what?"

"I. Want. You. Grimmjow. Do us both a favor and say you'll be my boyfriend?" Grimmjow's face broke in half with a huge smile.

"Only if you'll say you'll be mine."

"Of course I will, you big dummy," Ichigo said, and he kissed Grimmjow deeply. The two were surprised as applause resounded throughout the room. Grimmjow turned to see everyone in the audience plus some of the employees clapping and cheering. Riruka broke through the crowd, approaching them with a bright smile.

"Final-fucking-ly," she chided. "Now maybe he'll stop singing such depressing songs, yeah?"

"Whatever," Grimmjow said, but there was no heat behind his statement. He was blissfully happy as he looked down into Ichigo's beautiful brown eyes that were filled with nothing but adoration. Riruka was definitely right. He didn't have a reason to sing sad songs anymore.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So how mad would you guys be if this fic didn't have sex in it? I don't know, I've been trying to incorporate it, but it just doesn't seem to fit. This is such a sweet story, and I feel like a sex scene would disrupt it. If you guys would prefer that there be sex, then I can try, but it'll probably take longer for me to update because I'll have to figure out how to work it in so it doesn't seem like ¡boom butt sex outta no where! Alright, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it :)


	11. This love was out of control. . .

##  Chapter Eleven: _This love was out of control. . ._

_By: Pierce The Veil_

Ichigo smiled at his best friend's antics as he animatedly discussed his trip to Europe. It'd been a while, but once Shinji finally returned stateside, he kept his promise to call Ichigo, and the oranget picked his blond friend up from the airport; Shinji hadn't stopped talking about his boyfriend since, and Ichigo didn't really mind at all. It was good to be able to spend time with the other again. He regretted letting his work get in the way of their friendship, and while Shinji didn't complain about it, it still bothered Ichigo.

"Anyway, enough of my babbling. . .for now," Shinji said, with a wink, sipping from his Grey Goose martini. Ichigo chuckled. "How's ya life been, Ichi?"

"Well, a lot has happened in the past six months, Shin. For example, Shuuhei and I broke up three months ago." Shinji gasped melodramatically, laying a hand over his heart.

"No. I never thought  _that_  would happen," he said, and Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"Alright, don't be fake. I know you didn't like him, but at least spare my feelings, yeah?" Shinji laughed at that.

"Oh please, Ichi. How 'bout  _you_  spare  _me_. Anyone with two eyes - and Nnoitra too - coulda seen that ya ain't been happy for at least a year. What finally made ya see it for yerself?"

"Well, it's not what, but who. . ." Ichigo replied, and he trailed off, sipping from his own gin and tonic. He smirked as Shinji leaned towards him.

"Oh yeah, and  _who_  might that be?"

"Well his name is Grimmjow and -"

"He's fine as hell, ain't he?" Ichigo laughed, nodding his head.

"How'd you guess?" Shinji waved him off, finishing his drink and ordering another.

"Because ya can't have a name that thorough and be ugly. It's a gorgeous name though. What's his last name?"

"Jaegerjaquez."

"Equally beautiful. Where is he from? Is his family French? Maybe Creole? Although it could possibly be German, but it seems more of a Romantic surname than -"

"Shin, could you not go all linguist on me right now?" Ichigo said with an amused grin. Shinji loved words and names, and he'd even gone to college to study linguistics. He had a habit of analyzing people's names, and he'd even guessed the true meaning of Ichigo's name when they met. That's how they'd become such good friends.

"Sorry, sorry. I'll save it for when I meet him," the blond chided with a laugh. "So, how long have ya been seeing him?"

Ichigo explained his situation with Grimmjow from the day he saw him sing at Spirit for the first time, to the day Ichigo asked him to be his boyfriend. Shinji listened intently, only interrupting to ask minor questions. When Ichigo was finished, Shinji was looking at him with a mile-wide grin.

"What?" Ichigo asked, raising a brow. Shinji continued to smile, his eyes never leaving Ichigo's, and it was starting to freak the oranget out. "Out with it, Shin."

"You love him," the blond said, smugly, and Ichigo rolled his eyes and turned away, only to hide the blush that he was sure was spreading across the bridge of his nose at a rapid pace.

"Shin, we've only been together for three months. It's way too early to be thinking about that shit," he grumbled, and he heard Shinji tsk.

"Whatever, Ich. Ya love 'im, and there's nothing you can do to convince me otherwise. I ain't seen ya talk about anybody like this since ya dated Aizen's old fuddy duddy ass. So what if it's only been three months since you _officially_  asked him out? You've known 'im longer than that, and ya freakin' love 'im, so fight me, you hoe!"

"Alright, simmer down, Blondie. Maybe I do love him, but I'm not about to be shouting it from rooftops or anything like that."

"Yer such a lame. Lemme see a photo." Ichigo pulled out his phone and unlocked it, showing Shinji his screen. His wallpaper was a photo of him and Grimmjow in the park. Shinji snatched his phone away, marvelling at the screen. "In the immortal words of Beyoncé, the queen of the universe,  _goddamn, goddamn, goddamn_." Ichigo couldn't help chuckling at his friend's theatrics as he took his phone back. "Why'd it take ya so long to let him get the guts?"

"Oh my God, Shinji, we have not had  _sex_ ," Ichigo lamented, frowning deeply as his face heated up. Shinji gave him a frown of his own.

"Why the hell not? Is something wrong with his dick? Because he looks like he could change somebody's life."

"Please, stop."

Ichigo didn't want to talk about this anymore, and he hoped Shinji would catch his drift and let it go. He and Grimmjow hadn't had sex, because number one: it was too soon for that, and number two: Grimmjow had confided in Ichigo that he was a virgin. Of course he didn't believe him at first, but once the other explained himself, Ichigo understood perfectly. Grimmjow was demisexual, a sexuality that fell under the larger category of asexuality. He couldn't develop sexual attraction without first forming a deep emotional connection with someone. He'd never had a girlfriend or boyfriend before Ichigo, and Ichigo was even the first person he'd ever kissed. Essentially, Grimmjow was the epitome of innocent; that's why talking about this subject made Ichigo supremely uncomfortable.

"Fine, fine. So when do I get to meet 'im?" Shinji said, sensing Ichigo's discomfort. The oranget thanked the gods for having a best friend who knew him almost better than he knew himself.

"Well, if you'll be my plus one to Rukia and Ashido's wedding next weekend, he's playing for them." Shinji perked up, bouncing in his seat.

"Oh my God, yes! Ya didn't tell me they're finally tying the knot!"

He and Shinji talked for another hour or two before they said their goodbyes and Ichigo headed downtown toward his home. As he walked, he thought about his conversation with Shinji. Had he really not been happy since Aizen? It'd been almost ten years since he and the older man broke up, and Ichigo had dated a few people before Shuuhei, most notably a man named Coyote Starrk. They had had a good run until Ichigo found out the other man had cheated on him with a woman who he never bothered to learn the name of. He'd thought they were happy until then, but according to Shinji, he wasn't. What was keeping him from happiness?

His thoughts drifted to when Shinji said he was in love with Grimmjow. It'd be impossible to doubt that his feelings for Grimmjow ran much deeper than some passing phase or midlife crisis. He couldn't describe it, but he knew what he felt for Grimmjow was stronger than anything he'd felt for anyone; it didn't even matter that the other male was so much younger than him. How could he say it though? Would Grimmjow even feel the same way? He supposed it'd be best to talk about it with his boyfriend. No use hiding feelings from one another; that would only cause unnecessary strife, and he didn't want that. He'd had enough of that with Shuuhei. He decided then that he wouldn't allow himself to shut down like he had before. Shutting down didn't solve anything; it only created more problems. He'd learned that the hard way.

* * *

Grimmjow hummed to himself as he helped his band mates set up their instruments. He'd been very happy as of late, and there was a reason for that. He smiled to himself as he looked out in the large crowd of people at the wedding reception, spotting the bright orange hair of his boyfriend almost instantly. Boyfriend. Ichigo Kurosaki was his  _boyfriend_. He still couldn't believe it.

"Hey, Casanova," Riruka called from the other side of the stage. Grimmjow turned to her still smiling. "We'd like to start soon, so get your whipped ass in front of that mic."

Grimmjow stuck his tongue out at her, but picked up his guitar anyway. He'd grown to enjoy Riruka's company over the past three months, along with the rest of the band. They didn't have a name, since they didn't really plan to continue after the wedding, but they'd been playing together pretty much constantly since a week after Riruka had asked him to be their lead. The band consisted of Grimmjow doing lead vocals and playing rhythm guitar; Riruka doing backing vocals and playing bass; Riruka's cousin, Jinta, on lead guitar, and her good friend, Tier, on drums. They had fun practicing together, and Grimmjow had even introduced them to Nel, Renji, and Takashi. He had a feeling they'd all be really good friends long after this wedding.

"Hello, everyone! We are. . .well we don't really have a name, I guess -"

"We are My Stepbrother Has Poor Planning Skills and So He Had to Ask His Little Sister to Play at His Wedding, but It's Okay because She's a Kick Ass Bassist with Kick Ass Musician Friends by Panic! At the Disco!" Riruka said, and everyone in the room, Ashido included, laughed.

"Yeah, all that," Grimmjow said, once the laughter subsided. "So without further ado, we're gonna play some songs for you!"

Their performance went on without a hitch, and soon it was almost time for their intermission. They called it that to sound fancy, but really it was just their excuse to take a break and let some songs play from a Spotify playlist that they'd set up beforehand. Grimmjow smiled out at the crowd. He'd been waiting for this part.

"Okay, last one before intermission. This song is for someone very special to me, and I hope he likes it." He locked eyes with Ichigo who smiled at him, causing his heart to flutter as Tier tapped her drumsticks together three times and Jinta began to play the opening chords of the song they'd be singing. Grimmjow watched Ichigo's eyes widen as he recognized the song instantly, and he couldn't help grinning as he started to sing,

_"She sits up high, surrounded by the sun; one million branches and she loves every one; 'Mom and dad, did you search for me? I've been up here so long, I'm going crazy!' And as the sun went down, we ended up on the ground; I heard the train shake the windows, you screamed over the sound; and as we own this night, I put your body to the test with mine; this love was out of control, 3-2-1 where did it go?"_

The rest of the song went by smoothly and when they got to the bridge, Grimmjow pointed to Ichigo, gesturing for him to come forward. He could see the blush on the other man's face as he pulled his mic out of the stand, taking a knee on the stage and reaching out for Ichigo's hand. He smiled once the oranget grasped his hand.

_"If I were you I'd put that away; see you're just wasted and thinking about the past again; darling you'll be okay. . .and she said. . ."_ He could hear the smile in Riruka's voice as she picked up with the female portion of the bridge,

**"If you were me, you'd do the same; 'cause I can't take anymore; I'll draw the shades and close the door; everything's not alright, and I would rather. . ."**

Grimmjow let go of Ichigo's hand, never taking his eyes off of him as they played the musical interlude of the song. Ichigo was smiling so bright, his body swaying with the music and he mouthed the lyrics of the chorus as Grimmjow finished the song,

_"And as the sun went down, we ended up on the ground; I heard the train shake the windows, you screamed over the sound; and as we own this night, I put your body to the test with mine; this love was out of control; tell me where did it go?"_

Applause resounded throughout the room as Grimmjow set his guitar down in its stand, giving a bow before he hopped off the stage, jogging over to his orange-haired boyfriend. Ichigo was still smiling as Grimmjow wrapped his arms around him.

"You didn't tell me you were singing that," he said, and Grimmjow chuckled.

"Well, that's the point of a surprise isn't it?"

"Ya know yer gettin' the guts tonight, right?" Grimmjow turned around to see the shorter blond male that Ichigo had come with. He didn't know who this was, but the smug grin on the other's face suggested that the blond knew him.

"Shin, could you not?" Ichigo lamented, but the blond just laughed. Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Grimm, this annoying flame is my best friend, Shinji. Shin, this beautiful,  _beautiful_  singer is my boyfriend, Grimmjow."

Grimmjow didn't know which part of that statement made him happiest; it was probably the boyfriend part. The blond stepped in front of Grimmjow, shaking his hand.

"That is Ichi's favorite song in the whole world. You tryna smash?" Shinji asked, and Grimmjow laughed nervously as Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose. Shinji held his hand up for a high five, and Grimmjow obliged. "Awesome job. Ichi told me you were a great singer, but I ain't know you'd be  _this_ great. Yer amazin'!"

"Thank you," Grimmjow replied, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. He and Shinji continued to chat as Ichigo wandered off to talk to the bride, but not before he kissed Grimmjow's cheek.

"He's  _so_  into you," Shinji said, his grin wide and reminding Grimmjow of his music composition instructor.

"Is he really?" Grimmjow asked, and Shinji nodded, his silky bobbed hair swaying with the movement.

"Oh yeah. He hasn't been this happy for a while. Don't mess up, because I'll fight you," the blond said, and though he was much shorter and leaner than Grimmjow, the blunet didn't take the dangerous look in his eyes lightly.

"No need to worry, man. I don't have any plans to let him go any time soon," Grimmjow responded with a smile. Shinji patted his shoulder.

"Good to hear. Say, where's yer family from?"

They talked for a while longer and soon Riruka was signaling for him to get back on the stage. Ichigo came back over to them just before Grimmjow was getting ready to leave. He gripped the blunet's arm gently and smiled up at him.

"Knock 'em dead, babe," he said, his voice sending a shiver through Grimmjow's spine. He leaned down, capturing Ichigo's lips in a chaste kiss.

"Hey, Ichi, guess what?" he asked, once they pulled apart. Ichigo looked at him inquisitively, and he smiled. "I love you." Ichigo looked shocked for a second, and Grimmjow was about to get worried, before the orange-haired male smiled.

"I love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so there's only four more chapters and an epilogue of this, and I don't plan to include any sex, so I'll probably change the rating to T. If you guys would be interested, I may do a one-shot to go along with this in which there is a little bit of the good stuff, but it won't be in here. Thanks for all your support. You guys are really the best :)


	12. You don't have to change a single thing. . .

**Chapter Twelve : _You don't have to change a single thing. . ._**

_by: Colbie Caillat_

Grimmjow yawned and stretched as he got out of his bed. He picked up his phone from the nightstand, unlocking it and opening the thread with Ichigo's name on it. He typed out the short _Good morning. I love you_ message that he'd grown accustomed to sending every morning for the past month. He hoped that Ichigo wouldn't get tired of his mushy bullshit, but he couldn't help it. He was so in love with the older male, and he wanted to make sure he knew it. Ichigo didn't seem to mind; in fact, he seemed to quite enjoy all of Grimmjow's little romantic gestures, and as long as he did, then Grimmjow would keep it up.

They'd been going strong for almost five months, despite not having sex. Grimmjow decided that he didn't want to, and Ichigo didn't seem to mind. Even though Grimmjow was a virgin, he'd still never believed that sex was the ultimate way to show someone you loved them. Quite frankly, he wasn't even sure if he was interested. Maybe one day he and Ichigo would have sex and he'd get to see what all the fuss was about.

He headed to his bathroom for a shower, getting dressed when he was done. Nel and Renji were supposed to be coming to hang out, so he tried to straighten up his apartment a bit. He'd been spending a good portion of his nights at Ichigo's house, so the upkeep of his own was a little less than satisfactory. As he was pulling his vacuum from his linen closet, his doorbell rang. He crossed the room, swinging the door open, not bothering to check the peephole. He was more than a little surprised to see his parents in front of him.

"Mom? Dad? What're you guys doing here?"

"We came to visit you, baby," his mother responded, pushing her way into the apartment and looking around. His father followed, and Grimmjow was shocked once more when he saw Nel standing in the doorway. She waved at him timidly and he frowned.

"Okay, if someone could explain what's going on, that'd be great," he said, as Nel made her way inside and sat down on the couch between his parents.

"Come and sit, Grimmjow," Juliana said, using her soft motherly voice that she always used when she knew he was upset. He hesitantly made his way to the armchair adjacent to the couch and sat down.

"I thought you two were getting a divorce?"

"We were, but we've worked things out," Malcolm responded, reaching over Nel to grasp Juliana's hand. Grimmjow was still confused as to why his green-haired best friend was present. "We do have something we need to discuss with you though."

"What's that?" Grimmjow asked, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well, this," Malcolm let go of Juliana's hand to place it on Nel's shoulder, "is your sister."

Grimmjow frowned and cleaned out his ears. He must've been hearing things. Did his father just say that Nel was his _sister_?

"Did I miss something?" he asked.

"No, son. Nelliel is Malcolm's daughter from a previous relationship, which means she's your half-sister," Juliana said, calmly. She could sense her son's bad temper coming to light, and so she was trying to diffuse the situation by showing that she wasn't upset.

"And by 'from a previous relationship', do you mean 'when he cheated on me'?" Grimmjow asked, not in the least bit deterred from his irritation.

"Grimmjow, it was a misunderstanding. Please don't be upset with your father, and please don't be upset with Nelliel."

"How can I not be upset? You all lied to me, especially _you_ ," Grimmjow hissed, frowning at Nel. Her tawny eyes welled up at his dismissive attitude. She wasn't expecting him to act this way when he found out they were siblings.

"I didn't lie to you, Jacks. Daddy asked me not to tell you, and so I didn't."

Grimmjow turned his acidic gaze to his father, who stared right back at him. Was he proud of his indiscretion?

"Grimmjow, I want you to know that I already know what I did was wrong. Your mother and I were having a lot of problems before you were born and we separated. I didn't cheat on her, and I never would. I made some mistakes, but I want you and Nel to have a relationship. I was wrong to deprive you two of that just because I was afraid."

Grimmjow continued to frown as he looked over his family. He'd admit that if he'd found out Nel was his sister under different circumstances, he'd probably be really excited. He just wasn't sure how to feel about this. He looked at Nel, her big eyes glassy with tears. He supposed this was less her fault than anyone else's. He sighed, and stood up, reaching his arms out to her. She jumped off the couch and into his arms, almost knocking him back down. He felt her tears soaking his t-shirt and he squeezed her tight. Even though their situation was a bit unusual, he couldn't say that he was completely unhappy to find out she was his sister. She pulled away from him, and he brushed the tears from her cheeks, ruffling her hair.

"Grimmjow," Malcolm said, and the blunet turned his attention from his sister to his father. "I'm sorry for being untruthful with you. I hope you can forgive me."

"I'll think about it," he said, and Nel pinched him. "Ow, Nel!"

"Stop being a jerk, Grimm."

"I was kidding, damn."

"Oh dear, my son's moved to a hippy art school and turned into a delinquent," Juliana said, resting the back of her hand against her forehead. "Malcolm, I feel faint."

"So are you guys cool with me being at my hippy art school now?" Grimmjow asked, sitting back down. Juliana sighed.

"Your happiness is all that matters to me, darling. If singing is what you really want to do, then I want you to do it. I'm sorry if I made you feel like I didn't care about your dreams. I don't want you to feel like I don't believe in you."

"I think that's only because you haven't heard him sing, Mama," Nel said, sitting back down next to Juliana.

"I suppose you're right, Nellie."

"That all can be solved very easily, Mama. Just come to my job tonight, okay? All of you."

His family nodded and he smiled. He couldn't wait for his parents to finally hear him sing.

He was nervous at Spirit that night, but excited at the same time. He'd performed for many people, but tonight he'd be singing for the most important people in his life besides Ichigo. Speaking of him, the orange-haired male was not in attendance that night, seeing as he'd flown to California for two weeks to visit his own parents. Grimmjow missed him, but he'd be back in a few days, and they talked on the phone every night. It seemed like Ichigo's parents were excited to meet him. He was excited for his parents to meet Ichigo. He hoped the age difference wouldn't be too much of a big deal, since it didn't really matter to him.

He sat down at the piano, glancing at the table where his family was sitting. Nel smiled brightly, giving him a thumbs up. He smiled back at her before he spoke into the mic,

"How's everyone doing? I want to dedicate every song I sing tonight to the two most important women in my life; my mother, Juliana Jaegerjaquez, and my sister, Nelliel Tu Oderschwanck." The audience applauded, and Grimmjow began his set. He caught glimpses of his parents' faces as he sung each of the songs, and he couldn't help feeling proud. They were happy for him, and they were enjoying his singing. He couldn't ask for more.

When it was almost time for him to wrap up, he turned to his family's table.

"Mama, this song is for you. I love you, and you're perfect." Juliana smiled at him, and he turned back around and began to play the beginning notes of the song he'd be singing. He closed his eyes and let the music take him over as he started to sing,

" _You don't have to try, try, try, try, you don't have to try, try, try, try, you don't have to try, try, try, try, you don't have to try. . .put your makeup on, get your nails done, curl your hair, run the extra mile, keep it slim so they like you; do they like you? Get your sexy on, don't be shy girl, take it off, this is what you want to belong, so they'll like you; do you like you? You don't have to try so hard; you don't have to give it all away, you just have to get up, get up, get up, get up; you don't have to change a single thing; you don't have to try, try, try, try, you don't have to try, try, try, try, you don't have to try, try, try, try, you don't have to try. . .you don't have to try. . ."_

When he finished the song, applause erupted around the room, and Juliana stood from her table, walking to the stage with tears in her eyes. Grimmjow got down and hugged her; he hated to see her upset. Maybe he should've picked a different song, but he chose that one because it was the one he sang at his Juilliard audition. He'd thought of both his parents during that audition, but he thought about his mother the most, because he only wanted her love and support.

Juliana pulled out of the hug, reaching up to stroke her son's soft blue hair. "I'm so proud of you, my baby. You are going to change the world with your voice."

"Thanks, Mama. I love you." Juliana hugged him once more, her tears starting up all over again.

"I love you too, darling."

* * *

Grimmjow grinned as he flopped down on his bed, phone pressed to his ear. Ichigo's soft tenor floated through his eardrums, giving him butterflies. Even after being with the other male for nearly five months, he was still feeling the overwhelming happiness. He wasn't sure if Ichigo felt the same, but he hoped he did, since the oranget never hesitated to tell Grimmjow that he loved him. He smiled as Ichigo yelled something at his father.

"Frickin' idiot," Ichigo mumbled under his breath, and Grimmjow chuckled. "Sorry about that, babe. How was your day?"

"It was awesome. I got to sing for my mother. She loved it."

"That is awesome. So she's okay with you studying at Juilliard now?"

"Yeah. They're gonna help me pay for next semester."

"Alright, but you know I'll still help you too."

"You don't have to do that."

"Grimmjow, I love you, okay? I want you to be happy, and I want you to succeed. If you ever say some mess like that again, I will fight you."

"Fine, fine," Grimmjow said, laughing. "You gotta cut back on your Shinji time, baby. You're starting to sound like him."

They fell into a comfortable silence, just listening to one another's breaths. Grimmjow didn't mind that they weren't saying anything; he was just happy to be able to have the chance to hear the other's voice. He started to hum to himself and he heard Ichigo chuckle.

"Don't be selfish," the oranget said. Grimmjow stopped humming, confused by his boyfriend's statement.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you know how much I love hearing you sing, so sing to me." Grimmjow smiled and laid on his back before he started to sing,

_"Last night I had a dream about you; in this dream I'm dancing right beside you; and it looked like everyone was having fun; that kind of feeling, I've waited so long. . ."_

"You're so amazing," Ichigo said, once Grimmjow finished the song. Grimmjow felt his face get warm as a silly grin spread across his lips. "I'm so glad I met you."

"I'm glad I met you too, Ichi."

"Sure you aren't tired of me yet?"

"Not even close, baby."

"I gotta go. My sisters are back. I'll talk to you tomorrow. I love you."

"I love you more."

"Don't tell lies, babe."

After he hung up, he picked up his guitar, strumming on the instrument absentmindedly. He couldn't help but wonder how long this would last. He knew Ichigo had already told him not to worry multiple times, but how could he not? He'd heard about the "cupcake" phase from his friends. If he and Ichigo had been in a five month cupcake phase then shit was bound to go downhill. He didn't even have time to truly relish in the fact that he was with the man he loved because he was so worried about it all coming to an end.

The other thing plaguing his mind was his parents. They approved of his career choice now, but would they approve of his choice in a partner? His parents hadn't ever had a really strong opinion about queer people that he could recall, and they didn't act adversely to Nel's orientation. Maybe the fact that Ichigo was a man wouldn't matter, but the eleven-year age difference might. No matter how much he liked to act in the negative, his parents' opinion mattered to him. Not saying that he'd do something stupid like break up with Ichigo if his parents didn't like him, but it would be troubling. There was only one solution.

His parents would have to meet Ichigo.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading :)
> 
> Until next time,
> 
> Patd06


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